Breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and perception of support from educational institutions among nursing students and students from other faculties: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Background: Nursing education aims to promote positive health practices among the general population as well as among nurses themselves. Breastfeeding is one of these important health practices. However, to date there is little evidence regarding the extent to which nursing education affects nursing students’ attitudes, knowledge, intentions, and their perception of institutional support regarding breastfeeding. Objectives: To compare breastfeeding attitudes and knowledge among nursing students and students from other faculties, as well as their perception of their academic institution's support for breastfeeding, and to explore the association between these factors and students’ intention to breastfeed during the course of their studies. Design: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Settings: The study was conducted at a large university in central Israel. Participants: One hundred female students from the faculty of nursing and 100 female students from other faculties, of childbearing age, who were either pregnant or mothers. Methods: The students completed a questionnaire regarding their breastfeeding knowledge, intentions, attitudes, and their perception of their academic institution's support for breastfeeding. Results: Nursing students’ level of breastfeeding knowledge was very high, and higher than that among students from other faculties. However, both groups had similar moderately positive overall scores for attitudes towards breastfeeding. In addition, both groups expressed similar moderate intentions to breastfeed during the course of their studies. Students’ perception of their academic faculty as supportive of breastfeeding, their breastfeeding attitudes, and breastfeeding knowledge, were found to predict their intention to breastfeed during the course of their studies. Conclusions: Nursing programs should place more emphasis on improving nursing students’ attitudes towards breastfeeding. In order to promote breastfeeding among students during their studies, it is important to ensure a pro-breastfeeding environment on campus.