Breast-feeding: knowledge and attitudes of undergraduate nutrition majors

Abstract

A sample of, forty-five undergraduate nutrition majors from San Jose State University (SJSU) in the United States and forty-six from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (PUC-Campinas) in Brazil completed a 9uestionnaire elaborated to compare their' breast feeding experience, knowledge and attitudes. Results showed that 44.4% of SJSU and 80.4% of PUC-Campinas .students had been breast-fed (p=0.01). Although students intended to breast-feed, both groups had a negative attitude toward breast-feeding in public: SJSU students (56.8%) felt social pressures to not breast=feed in public, and PUC-Campinas students (54.3%) expressed personal constraint. SJSU students emphasized convenience, and PUC-Campinas students mentioned, immunological factors as advantages of breast-feeding. PUC-Campinas students considered protection as an advantage of formula, feeding. Concerning causal factors for breast feeding failure, SJSU students cited negative social pressure and biological problems, and PUC-Campinas students mentioned, lack of information. In conclusion, it is necessary to improve the curricula, if we expect future nutrition professionals to have adequate knowledge to promote and choose breast feeding successfully.