TY - JOUR
T1 - Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding infant feeding among HIV-infected pregnant women in Gaborone, Botswana
T2 - A cross-sectional survey
AU - Ndubuka, Justina
AU - Ndubuka, Nnamdi
AU - Li, Ying
AU - Marshall, Caitlin M.
AU - Ehiri, John
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding infant feeding among HIV-positive pregnant women in Gaborone, Botswana, and factors that influence their infant feeding choices. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods and study setting: A questionnaire survey of 96 HIV-positive pregnant women attending four public infectious disease control clinics in Gaborone, Botswana. Results: Only about half of the study participants had knowledge about prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services related to breastfeeding, and very few (19.8%) chose to breastfeed their infants exclusively. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that receiving infant feeding counselling as part of the PMTCT programme was significantly associated with a decision to exclusively breastfeed (OR (95% CI) 5.38 (1.83 to 15.81)). Similarly, HIV-positive pregnant women who received breastfeeding counselling through the PMTCT programme had higher knowledge of PMTCT practices related to appropriate infant feeding (OR (95% CI) 5.91 (1.06 to 34.31)). Women who did not express concern about HIV stigma had significantly higher knowledge of PMTCT practices related to infant feeding (OR (95% CI) 5.91 (1.69 to 15.56)). Knowledge of PMTCT practices related to breastfeeding was negatively associated with the belief that breastfeeding could transmit HIV to the baby (OR (95% CI) 9.73 (3.37 to 28.08)). Conclusions: Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to breastfeeding among HIV-positive pregnant women need further improvement, and the PMTCT programme should strengthen infant feeding counselling services to assist HIV-positive mothers in making informed and appropriate decisions regarding infant feeding.
AB - Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding infant feeding among HIV-positive pregnant women in Gaborone, Botswana, and factors that influence their infant feeding choices. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods and study setting: A questionnaire survey of 96 HIV-positive pregnant women attending four public infectious disease control clinics in Gaborone, Botswana. Results: Only about half of the study participants had knowledge about prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services related to breastfeeding, and very few (19.8%) chose to breastfeed their infants exclusively. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that receiving infant feeding counselling as part of the PMTCT programme was significantly associated with a decision to exclusively breastfeed (OR (95% CI) 5.38 (1.83 to 15.81)). Similarly, HIV-positive pregnant women who received breastfeeding counselling through the PMTCT programme had higher knowledge of PMTCT practices related to appropriate infant feeding (OR (95% CI) 5.91 (1.06 to 34.31)). Women who did not express concern about HIV stigma had significantly higher knowledge of PMTCT practices related to infant feeding (OR (95% CI) 5.91 (1.69 to 15.56)). Knowledge of PMTCT practices related to breastfeeding was negatively associated with the belief that breastfeeding could transmit HIV to the baby (OR (95% CI) 9.73 (3.37 to 28.08)). Conclusions: Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to breastfeeding among HIV-positive pregnant women need further improvement, and the PMTCT programme should strengthen infant feeding counselling services to assist HIV-positive mothers in making informed and appropriate decisions regarding infant feeding.
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U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-003749
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-003749
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84889574366
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 3
JO - BMJ open
JF - BMJ open
IS - 11
M1 - e003749
ER -