Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: To determine knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding exclusive breastfeeding among mothers attending tertiary care hospitals.  METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics in Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. A total of 162 mothers were selected who were practicing breastfeeding of ages between 20 to 35 years, having a full-term baby of age up to 6 months old. The data is collected through a pre-planned questionnaire and then was analyzed using statistics version 24.0. The duration of the study was from 1st June 2020 to 30th October 2020. RESULTS: The results showed that no significant association was found between age groups, socio-economic status regarding knowledge, attitude, and practice (p>0.05). However, there was a significant difference between knowledge, attitude, and practice with respect to educational status (p<0.05). 123 (73.21%) mothers had unsatisfactory; whereas 39 (24.07%) mothers had excellent knowledge regarding breastfeeding. 39 (27.07%) of breast-feeding mothers had a positive attitude towards breastfeeding. 123 (73.21%) women showed a negative response regarding the practice of breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Most of the mothers didn’t have adequate knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practice. As a result, it is suggested that media can be used as a medium to educate women about the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF).

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