Proficiency, Attitudes, and Practices in Breastfeeding of Participants in a Pediatric Congress

Objective: To investigate the proficiency, practices, and attitudes about breastfeeding of participants in a Pediatrics Congress.

Methods: Cross-sectional study in which an online questionnaire was applied, using a specific QRcode, for each study participant, in June 2018. The questions were formulated according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Among the 39 questions, 13 identified the profile of the participants, 19 questions assessed the proficiency in breastfeeding and 7 questions the practices and attitudes.

Results: Responses to 296 questionnaires were evaluated, 62.5% of which were health professionals and 37.5% were undergraduate health students. In assessing proficiency, the global average did not reach the expected minimum of 70%. But the highest proficiency averages were found among health professionals (p: 0.0136), among professionals with more recent degrees (p <0.0001), and those who performed most of their activity in the public sector (p: 0.018). 77% of health professionals and 73% of students assessed attitudes and practices about breastfeeding as appropriate.

Conclusion: The low proficiency in the population studied points to the need for periodic training of professionals in breastfeeding and greater emphasis on undergraduate curricula in the health area on the subject.