• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a targeted, practical education intervention on university students' knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding. Methods: A university curricular intervention was designed for students to increase their knowledge and positive attitude toward breastfeeding issues. The participants attended a breastfeeding education lectures two hours of weekly for fifteen weeks in university; 61 students (female, n=31 and male, n=30) participated. The pre- and post-measurements included future breastfeeding intention, knowledge, attitude and perceived control beliefs scores based on the results of a questionnaire. Results: The statistical analysis results revealed a significant difference in the pretest and posttest scores (0.57 to 5.10 points, p<0.001) in regard to the students' breastfeeding knowledge. For female students, significant differences were observed in the future breastfeeding intention (p<0.05), knowledge (p<0.001), and attitudes towards breastfeeding (p<0.05) between the pretest and posttest scores. For male students, there were no significant differences in the future breastfeeding intention, attitudes towards breastfeeding, and perceived control beliefs scores after the breastfeeding education lecture. Conclusions: This study showed that the implementation of practical breastfeeding educational interventions helped improve university students' knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding. In summary, despite the limitations, it is necessary to pay more attention to improving students' knowledge and attitudes towards breastfeeding through university curricula.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the relationships among knowledge, attitudes and nursing activities while breastfeeding among nursing students, and to identify factors influencing nursing activities in breastfeeding. Methods: The research participants were 172 nursing students in the nursing departments of 3 universities located in G city and J provinces. The students had successfully completed their obstetric and pediatric clinical practice courses. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression. Results: Participants' scores for knowledge, attitudes and nursing activities while breastfeeding were $16.24{\pm}2.73$, $3.74{\pm}0.43$ and $3.49{\pm}0.43$, respectively. Knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding had positive correlations with nursing activities while breastfeeding. Factors influencing nursing students' nursing activities while breastfeeding included knowledge, attitudes toward breastfeeding, grade, breastfeeding educational experience, and breastfeeding intentions. These variables explained 18% of the variance in nursing activities while breastfeeding. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it would be beneficial to enhance knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding by developing education programs for breastfeeding.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.208-245
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• 2017

Background: Attitudes toward breastfeeding in public are one potential barrier to optimal breastfeeding rates and durations. Method: Questions about breastfeeding experience and attitudes toward breastfeeding in public were asked in face-to-face interviews as part of the Korean Academic Multimode Open Survey (KAMOS), May-July, 2017. The response rate was 65.8% (2000 respondents nationwide). Results: A majority of Koreans disagreed (1 or 2 on a 4-point scale) with the statement "Women should not breastfeed their child in open, public places" (53.9%) and agreed (3 or 4 on the 4-part Likert scale) with the statements "I do not feel uncomfortable seeing women breastfeed their child in open, public places" (64.0%) and "Breastfeeding a baby, instead of letting the baby cry, in public places is better for other people" (71.8%). However, despite these generally positive attitudes, the majority also said that they would not breastfeed in public (57.4% of women) or, in the case of men, would not want a close female relative to do so (63.8% of men). Breastfeeding in public was positively correlated with the duration of breastfeeding. People were more positive about breastfeeding in public if they: were parents; did not use formula and breastfeeding a similar amount; had children who had been breastfed in public; were older; were Buddhists rather than Christians. An attempt was made to compare attitudes toward breastfeeding in public and breastfeeding durations internationally, but was inconclusive due to not perfectly comparable data. Conclusion: Our results may be useful in planning public health campaigns in South Korea or future attempts at international comparisons to better understand and address the effect of public opinion regarding breastfeeding in public on breastfeeding rates and durations.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.449-458
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• 2015

Purpose: Maternal knowledge, positive attitudes and interest toward breastfeeding may improve the sustainability of breastfeeding. This study examined the associations of knowledge, attitudes, and interest toward breastfeeding with the duration of breastfeeding in Korean mothers who used the internet. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 604 Korean mothers who breastfed their babies. Mothers were recruited through the internet and their knowledge, attitudes and interest toward breastfeeding were assessed using a web-based self-administered questionnaire. Geometric means and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: Higher knowledge, attitudes, and interest toward breastfeeding were associated with longer duration of breastfeeding in Korean mothers. In particular, mothers who had optimal breastfeeding duration were more likely to be aware of the easiness of breast milk stimulation and breastfeeding, the development of attachment between mother and child, and pleasure from breastfeeding compared to those mothers with shorter duration. The association with optimal breastfeeding duration was more pronounced among mothers who graduated from high school for total attitude scores and total interest scores, compared to mothers who graduated from college or above. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that it is important to improve maternal knowledge, attitudes, and interest toward breastfeeding in Korean mothers who use the internet as a source of knowledge. Also, the study results imply that the development of strategies to target mothers with relatively low education levels may improve breastfeeding rates.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.367-373
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• 2008

Breastfeeding is an ideal approach for physical and emotional development of babies, as well as recovery of mothers. A breastfeeding education for female students seems to be an effective intervention to increase the Korean women breastfeeding rate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes, and other related breastfeeding variables for developing a design for a pre-parental breastfeeding educational information for Korean female students of childbearing age. The sample consisted of 205 Korean female college students, ranging in age from 20 to 25 years old. In this study, a self-administered questionnaire included 6 pages with close-ended multiple-choice questions, and included a cover page with 15 questions on demographic characteristics and personal experiences related to breastfeeding. Data analysis was done utilizing inferential statistics using SPSS 12.0 computer program. The findings indicated that breastfeeding education programs should focus on the practical aspect of attitudes toward. breastfeeding, and that educational information design should focus on the practical aspects of breastfeeding for all. levels of students' education by nurses. Therefore, education for female college students seems to be an effective intervention to increase breastfeeding rate. This study is useful for descriptions of educational activities to help female students develop positive attitudes to breastfeed, to help these students have confidence toward breast-feeding in future by providing correct information and practical techniques on breastfeeding.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.516-527
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to investigate belief and attitudes on breastfeeding of physicians and nurses. A questionnaire was mailed to obstetricians, pediatricians and nurses at the department of pediatrics or obstetrics of university hospital and private hospital in Seoul and Choong-Chung Province) in South Korea. Total numbers of study subjects were 346 (pediatrician 67, obstetrician 41, nurse 238). The results were as follows : 1. The main reasons not to educate breast feeding in the hospitals were a lack of interest of the health professionals, a lack of educators and education programs. 2. The respondents thought that the best ways for lactating mother to get advices about breastfeeding during the first month were to give a call to health professionals in the hospitals where she had been delivered, or call to relatives or friends. 3. Breastfeeding attitudes of physicians and nurses did not differ according to gender, job, or type of the hospitals they work. 4. Breastfeeding attitudes were related with personal breastfeeding experience, breastfeeding knowledge, extracurricular education experience, encouragement experience. Physicians and nurses should give appropriate advices and support to lactating mothers to increase breastfeeding rate. They were, however, ill-prepared to counsel breastfeeding mothers. Therefore, it is necessary to instruct breastfeeding in the curriculum of the medical and nursing schools, and incorporate clinically based breastfeeding training into continuing education workshops. Improved breastfeeding education is a critical step in ensuring that health professionals are adequately prepared for this important role.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.331-339
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• 2001

This study was conducted to examine the predicting factors for the intention of breastfeeding with The Theory of Planned Behavior. The questionnaires were distributed to 131 primigravidas who were in their third trimester of pregnancy in Seoul, Kyonggido, Kyongsangbukdo, and Kyongsnagnamdo. Descriptive statistics, Pearsons Correlation and Multiple Regression were used to analyse the data. The subjects showed strong intention of breastfeeding. The subjects showed favorable attitudes toward breastfeeding. This fact showed significant correlation with the belief that their breastfeeding intention was due to the advantage of breast milk for the infant with regard to allergy prevention, disease protection, contribution to intellectual development, psychological closeness between mother and infant, convenience, cost, and the reduction of breast cancer risk and weight of the mother. No item of outcome evaluation did showed significant correlation with behavioral intension. The subjects were influenced about breastfeeding by their referents such as siblings and friends with breastfeeding experience, their mothers and husbands, and mothers-in-law. Most items of the control beliefs had a significant influence on the intention of breastfeeding. The subjects felt they could not control the situation ie. "when I have to breastfeed in public". However they felt they could control the situation ie. "when I suffer from mastitis", "when I have to cut down on coffee, alcohol, and smoking", "when I have Caesarean section", "when I need to maintain breast condition", and "when the infant hates to suck my nipple". Regression analysis revealed that control beliefs and attitudes toward breastfeeding could predict the behavioral intention of breastfeeding. Control beliefs were the most important factor in predicting behavioral intention. Therefore, nutrition education is needed to enhance the ability to cope with difficult situations while breastfeeding and increase faborable attitudes toward breastfeeding.eding and increase faborable attitudes toward breastfeeding.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.95-100
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• 1999

Objectives. This study surveyed medical students attending clerkship to assess their attitude toward and knowledge about breastfeeding, and self-confidence to manage common breastfeeding problems. Methods. A self-report questionnaire was administered to the 323 medical students at four medical colleges in Taegu in May 1997. The response rate was 92.9%, but the respondents used in the final data analysis were 245 (75.8%) due to missing variables. Results. Overall, respondents showed equivocal attitudes toward breastfeeding (mean score 2.9 on a 6-point scale). Knowledge about breastfeeding was substantially low with the median % correct 39.2%. Of nine knowledge areas, weak areas were especially 'contraindications and barriers to breastfeeding', 'use of breastfeeding aids', 'expression and storage of breast milk'. Those reported to be confident to manage common breastfeeding problems were only 25.7%. Correlations between knowledge and self-confidence were not statistically significant except in college A (r=0.35, p<0.05). Correlations between knowledge and attitude were not significant. Conclusions. These results suggest that medical students attending clerkship in Taegu show equivocal attitudes toward breastfeeding, low self-confidence to manage common breastfeeding problems and have substantially limited level of knowledge. There should be more concerted efforts to improve this situation on the part of those involved in breastfeeding education.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2023

Objective: There is a growing interest in the safe use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find ways to improve education about safe medication use by investigating the status of medication use of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and by evaluating their knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward safe medication use. Methods: In this study, a self-report questionnaire was conducted on pregnant or breastfeeding women in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The questionnaire consisted of the following four sections; 1) sociodemographic characteristics of participants, 2) experience of medication use, 3) experience of being educated on safe medication use, and 4) knowledge, attitudes, and practices about medication use during pregnancy/breastfeeding. Results: A total of 203 participants were included in the analysis. Of these, 38.4% reported to take prescription medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Regarding education on safe medication use, nearly 90% of the participants answered that they were not educated or were unsure whether they had it. In the knowledge-attitude-practice evaluation on safe medication use, the knowledge level was the highest (mean, 4.45), followed by the attitude level (mean, 3.58) and the practice level (mean, 3.33). The preferred education method of the participants was online education using a computer or mobile phone application, etc. Conclusions: This study suggests that there is a need for systematic and effective education that can link knowledge of safe medication use with attitudes and practices in pregnant and breastfeeding women.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.240-249
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the future plan for infant feeding practice and its associated factors among university students so as to develop focus for nutritional education program for the promotion of breastfeeding. The subjects were 301 students (males 130, females 171). The results obtained were as follows. In this survey, the subjects had a basic knowledge of breastfeeding and lactation, especially of the ingredient of breastmilk. However they were not well informed about the physiology and method of breastfeeding and benefits of breastfeeding for mothers. The average scores far attitude toward breastfeeding and lactation were 3.09 points on a 4 point scale, which indicated a slightly positive attitudes toward breastfeeding. However the participants had a negative attitude toward its emotional and practical aspects. Their future plan for infant feeding was breastfeeding 40.3%, formula feeding 3.0% and mixed feeding 56.7%. A concern was that the students showed a high rate with regard to a mixed feeding plan, and Dey decided this based on an incorrect knowledge of breastfeeding. The group who planned to breastfeed in the future (BF) showed higher scores with respect to knowledge and attitudes than those who planned to formula feed or mixed feed (FF + MF). Therefore, to encourage mothers to breastfeed and support breastfeeding, breastfeeding nutritional education is urgently needed among university students. In addition, nutrition education programs should promote the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and the physiology and practical method of breastfeeding. Also a practical and culturally sensitive course about food and nutrition is recommended to inform participants about breastfeeding. (Korean J Community Nutrition 8(2) : 240∼249, 2003)