OPINIONS AND BELIEFS OF A GROUP OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ABOUT BREASTFEEDING

https://doi.org/10.56274/rcs.2022.1.1.8

Abstract

Breastfeeding is the ideal feeding of the young child, from a nutritional point of view and from an integral health perspective since it contributes to optimal growth and development while protecting against short and long term diseases. In order to characterize the opinions and beliefs about breastfeeding among university students, a descriptive study was carried out by means of a survey in a University of the City of Buenos Aires.

A total of 194 participants from health and non-health careers responded to the survey. Only 35% had previous information. Although breastfeeding was recognized as the ideal food for infants under 6 months of age by nearly 70%, we found lack of knowledge or erroneous beliefs regarding the moment to introduce semisolids, the determinants of milk production, the time to place a newborn at the breast and the benefits of breastfeeding.

Of the participants, 10.8% had children. A decrease in both the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding was found.

42.2% of the men and 28.5% of the women mentioned alleged disadvantages of breastfeeding, mainly related to the impossibility of working or studying and breastfeeding at the same time.

International research agrees that the university population has low levels of knowledge on fundamental aspects of breastfeeding.

Knowing the beliefs and preconceptions of the students made it possible to design more efficient interventions, turning the university into a space for the promotion and multiplication of healthy habits.