An Educational Intervention to Explore and Overcome Nursing Students' Breastfeeding Barriers

Abstract

Background: Nursing and midwifery students do not feel adequately prepared during their clinical training to support women who breastfeed, demanding more effective communication skills and knowledge. Aim: The aim was to evaluate changes in students' breastfeeding knowledge. Methods: This was a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design. Forty students voluntarily participated. Using a 1:1 ratio, 2 groups were randomly created and completed the validated questionnaire ECoLaE (pre-post). The educational program consisted of focus groups, a clinical simulation, and a visit to the local breastfeeding association. Findings: The control group's posttest scores ranged from 6 to 20 (mean = 13.1, standard deviation [SD] = 3.0). The intervention group ranged from 12 to 20 (mean = 17.3, SD = 2.3). A Student's t test for independence samples was calculated (P < .005, t = 4.5, median = 4.2). The intervention group had a mean difference of 10 points in improvement (mean =10.53, SD = 2.20, min = 7, max = 14), whereas the control group had a mean of 6 points (mean = 6.80, SD = 3.03, min = 3, max = 13). The multiple linear regression explained the intervention's effect. The regression model had statistical significance (F = 4.87, P = 0.004), with an adjusted R 2 = 0.31. The linear regression between the posttest scores and group variables after adjusting by age showed an increment of 4.1 points in the intervention posttest scores (P < .005, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1-6.1). Conclusions: The educational program “Engage in breaking the barriers to breastfeeding” improved nursing students' knowledge.