Pregnant Women’s Knowledge and Beliefs regarding the Affect of Obesity on the Continuation of Breast Feeding

Abstract

Background: Assessing the knowledge and beliefs of pregnant women regarding the effect of obesity on breastfeeding continuation is crucial in understanding potential barriers to successful breastfeeding amongst this demographic. Aim: The current study aimed to evaluate pregnant women's knowledge and beliefs about the effect of obesity on breastfeeding continuation. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted. Sample: A purposive sample of 550 pregnant women was recruited based on certain inclusion criteria. Setting: The study was carried out within second cluster hospitals in the Riyadh region. Tools: The tools utilized to collect the necessary data were; a Structured Interviewing questionnaire tool, Structured obesity knowledge tool and Likert Belief Scale regarding the effect of obesity on breast feeding continuation. Result: The mean age was 29.47 ± 8.6years. About 57.8% of the study sample had an unsatisfactory level of knowledge about the effect of obesity on breast feeding continuation in comparison with 42.2% of them who had a satisfactory level of knowledge. While 87.6% of the study sample had positive beliefs regarding the effect of obesity on breast feeding continuation as compared to 12.4% who had negative beliefs. Amongst the study sample no statistically significant relationship was found between the belief and knowledge categories regarding the effect of obesity on breastfeeding continuation (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The pregnant women had an unsatisfactory level of knowledge and positive beliefs regarding the effect of obesity on breast feeding continuation. Recommendation: develop targeted educational interventions to address misconceptions amongst this target group.