Breastfeeding knowledge among low-income first-time pregnant women

Disparities in breastfeeding initiation rates and breastfeeding duration have been found among mothers of low-income status. The breastfeeding education a pregnant women receives is positively correlated with breastfeeding outcomes however, there is little known about the comprehensive breastfeeding knowledge of first-time low-income pregnant women. The objective of this study was to expand on the information on firsttime low-income pregnant women concerning their comprehensive breastfeeding knowledge. A quantitative descriptive research design was used to investigate breastfeeding knowledge levels. Thirty first-time low-income pregnant women were invited to participate in the study. A breastfeeding knowledge questionnaire (BKQ) was designed to measure the participants’ knowledge on seven breastfeeding knowledge domains. The lowest mean score (0.97 +/0.669) was found in the area that tested participants’ knowledge on breastfeeding problem-solving. The second-lowest group mean score (1.133+/- 0.819) was found on the topic of time and frequency of breastfeeding. The third- and fourth-lowest mean scores were on the topics of breastfeeding benefits for the infant (1.333+/- 0.711) and breastfeeding benefits for the mother (1.167+/- 0.791), respectively. Results revealed that a participant’s age was a significant variable that affected scores on the topic of breast milk components (p = 0.05). The total group mean score (N=30) was 64.48%. These findings indicate lowincome first-time pregnant women would benefit from breastfeeding education that emphasizes the benefits of breastfeeding, time and frequency of feedings, and breastfeeding problem-solving. Information gained from this study can be used by healthcare educators to develop comprehensive breastfeeding educational programs that are tailored to the needs of low-income first-time pregnant women to help increase breastfeeding initiation rates and breastfeeding duration time.