Breastfeeding knowledge & attitudes: Comparison among post-licensure undergraduate and graduate nursing students.

RESEARCH AIMS: The aims of this study are to compare the knowledge and attitude scores between undergraduate and graduate nursing students and to identify the variables associated with higher breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes. BACKGROUND: Nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards breastfeeding greatly impact their roles in promoting and supporting breastfeeding. However, they may not have sufficient knowledge and/or positive attitudes to support and advocate for these families. Many studies focused on professional nurses or undergraduate students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. Few studies included registered nurses enrolled in post licensure undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, prospective, and descriptive study. METHODS: A convenient sample of 95 nursing students (50 undergraduate and 45 graduate) was recruited from an ethnically diverse, urban university in Southern California. Students voluntarily completed an online survey adapted from Brodribb, et al. (2008). Bivariate analysis was conducted to identify relationships between study variables. RESULTS: Compared to undergraduates, graduate students scored higher on knowledge and attitudes towards breastfeeding (p < 0.001). Students' perception of their prior academic breastfeeding preparation was not related to their current knowledge and attitudes. Age, having children, exclusively breastfed own baby, and duration of personal breastfeeding were positively associated with attitudes and knowledge (p < 0.05 for all variables). Years of nursing experience (p = .01) was positively associated with attitudes only. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to academic preparation, age, having children, and personal breastfeeding experiences seem to be better indicators of breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes. Nursing programs should exert more effort in enhancing curricular evidence based breastfeeding education. More research is needed to support these efforts.

Breastfeeding Practices and Associated Factors among Immigrant Muslim Arab Women Living in a Metropolitan Area of the Southwest of United States.

Background: Muslim Arab immigrants are a fast-growing, under-studied, and underserved minority population in the United States. Little is known about breastfeeding practices in this population. objectives: The objective of this study was to describe infant feeding practices and factors associated with these practices among immigrant Muslim Arab women. design: A nonexperimental-one group, cross-sectional, descriptive, prospective design was used to identify infant feeding practices among immigrant Muslim Arab women. methods: A convenience sample of one hundred sixteen immigrant Muslim Arab women with at least one child five years or younger was recruited from a large metropolitan area in the Southwestern region. Participants completed the social ecological model of health promotion self-reported questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were performed to identify infant feeding practices and logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with these practices. results: Immigrant Muslim Arab mothers demonstrate high breastfeeding initiation rates (99.2%) and lengthy breastfeeding duration (M = 11.86, SD = 8.04), but low rates of exclusive breastfeeding at six months (21.6%). The most frequent reasons for early termination of breastfeeding were perceived insufficient milk (44.4%), child was still hungry after breastfeeding (37.5%), and the belief that the child was old enough to stop breastfeeding (32.9%). conclusion: Development of educational interventions are needed to improve breastfeeding exclusivity and raise women's awareness of the importance of exclusive breastfeeding. Healthcare providers should help women gain confidence in their ability to produce enough milk to successfully continue breastfeeding.

Dying in Isolation: An Islamic Perspective on End-of-Life Care During COVID-19.

COVID-19 has taken 1 million lives as of March 22, 2022. The restrictions and enforced social distancing imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the way people die, often alone in hospitals without their family members or loved ones by their side. Religious and cultural beliefs predominantly influence every aspect of people's lives, especially during the end of life (EOL). Islam is the fastest growing religion worldwide after Christianity and the third most practiced religion in the United States. The Islamic religion specifies how Muslim practice health and wellness, death, and EOL care. Islamic teachings provide a roadmap on EOL practices and death rituals that must be followed by the practicing individual. Scarce empirical studies exist on practices and rituals of Muslims near death and dying. Therefore, the aim of this case report is to provide a practical framework for health care practitioners to understand essential Islamic EOL practices and provide resources to guide clinical practice.