An exploration of the knowledge and attitudes towards breastfeeding among a sample of Chinese mothers in Ireland

BMC Public Health

Table 3 Mother's knowledge of breastfeeding, classified by socio-demographics characteristics‡ (n = 322)

	K1.Infant formula should be fed to all newborn infants until their mothers' milk comes in.				K3.Mother should not breastfeed if she catches a cold.				Maternal awareness of the advantages of breastfeeding for the babies.
	Disagree^†	Agree^†	Don't know	P	Disagree^†	Agree^†	Don't know	P	Mean score^§
	(%)	(%)	(%)		(%)	(%)	(%)
Total	40.7	49.5	9.8		26.0	59.2	14.7		4.03 ± 0.73
Current age
20-29	34.9	54.7	10.4	0.013	20.8	70.8	8.5	0.005	3.90^b
30-39	45.4	49.3	5.3		32.0	53.6	14.4		4.14^a
> 40	38.9	40.7	20.4		20.4	53.7	25.9		4.03^ab
Education level
Primary/Secondary level	36.8	50.7	12.5	0.187	19.6	64.1	16.3	0.043	3.93^b
Third level	44.2	48.5	7.3		31.9	54.8	13.3		4.14^a
Current occupation
Self-employed/Professional work	49.4	45.5	5.2	0.228	36.7	51.9	11.4	0.015	4.25^a
Non-professional work	38.7	51.9	9.4		21.7	67.9	10.4		3.98^b
Housewife	36.4	50.4	13.2		22.5	56.6	20.9		3.98^b
Husband/partner occupation
Self-employed/Professional work	51.9	39.6	8.5	0.013	36.4	50.5	13.1	0.011	4.20^a
Non-professional work/Unemployed	34.7	55.4	9.9		20.7	64.0	15.3		3.97^b
Mother's birth place
Mainland China (north)	40.1	53.7	6.2	0.005	30.1	57.7	12.3	0.013	4.08^ns
Mainland China (south)	40.2	50.5	9.3		22.2	65.7	12.0		4.04
Hong Kong	43.5	32.6	23.9		19.6	50.0	30.4		3.90
Duration in Ireland (years)
< = 5	51.5	41.4	7.1	0.001	33.3	58.6	8.1	0.001	4.11^ns
> 5-10	34.9	57.1	8.0		23.7	62.7	13.6		4.02
> 10	39.5	37.2	23.3		18.6	46.5	34.9		3.93
Has mother herself been breastfed when she was a baby?
Yes	41.2	51.1	7.7	0.009	27.0	58.4	14.6	0.609	4.06^ns
No/Don't know	37.8	40.0	22.2		20.0	64.4	15.6		3.91

^‡Group comparisons for categories variables (variables in K1 and K2) were performed by Pearson Chi-square analysis. Group comparisons for continuous variables (mean score) were performed by One-way ANOVA analysis; ^ab different subscripts denote significances difference within groups using Scheffe post hoc multiple comparisons test (P < 0.05). ns: no significant difference (P > 0.05).
^†Disagree = Strongly disagree/Tend to disagree; Agree = Strongly agree/Tend to agree.
^§Mean score was calculated from responses basing on a 5-point Likert scale. Strongly Disagree = 1; Tend to disagree = 2; Neither = 3; Tend to Agree = 4; Strongly Agree = 5

ISSN: 1471-2458