Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among Saudi Mothers towards Colostrum Feeding in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Colostrum has been known for long time to play an important role in the development, growth and immunity of the newly newborns. In Saudi Arabia, there are cultural differences based on the region of the country, regarding the importance of colostrum and/or breastfeeding on the overall well-being of the newly born. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of women about the importance of colostrum for the newly newborn(s). Material and Methods: A questionnaire was used as a tool for collecting information concerning colostrum feeding among women in Western region of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Different demographic information was associated with knowledge and attitude related questions using one way ANOVA. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered as a criteria to reject the null hypothesis. Results: Five hundred and fifty participants were included in this study. All were married Saudi housewives with an average age of 31 years, with a bachelor degree and an income between 6000-9000 SAR and residing in apartments. Around ninety eight percent of them have heard about colostrums. The source of information varied based on age, monthly income and educational level. Conclusion: The data emphasized the need for more information about the importance of colostrum and breast feeding among the Saudi women. Recommendations: It is recommended to conduct nationwide studies that would represent the view of women from rural areas of the kingdom to provide a deeper understanding of women attitude towards colostrum. More educational campaigns need to be organized to, better educate women about the importance of colostrum for the overall well-being of the newly born. This could be achieved through leaflets, internet websites and other sources of information. Title: Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among Saudi Mothers towards Colostrum Feeding in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia Author: Dalia Hashem, Deemah Tashkandi, Duaa Abdullah, Lama Basuni, Lujain Halawani, Musab Almatrafi, Njoud Aldardeir, Rahma Bukhari, Sunil Joshi, Zahra Othman, Steve Harakeh International Journal of Healthcare Sciences ISSN 2348-5728 (Online) Research Publish Journals

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