Objective To examine the status of breastfeeding knowledge among Chinese people nowadays and to provide evidences for health education on breastfeeding.
Methods We conducted a web-based survey using a self-designed 10-item questionnaire on breastfeeding knowledge; the questionnaire interlinkage was recommended to people through 52 maternal and child health care institutions located in 29 provinces during the period of World Breastfeeding Week 2017. Then the data on 74 785 respondents other than medical staff were analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square test.
Results Among the respondents, the average score of breastfeeding knowledge was 7.88 ± 1.89; the proportion of having correct cognition on colostrum and indicators of stopping breastfeeding was 43.9% and 67.7%, respectively. The proportion of having correct cognition of on demand breastfeeding and indicators of inadequate breast milk were both less than 70% among the respondents with the education of senior high school/technical secondary school or lower, pregnant women, and the caregivers of infants less than one month old.
Conclusion In general, the public in China have inadequate cognition about colostrum, indicators of stopping breastfeeding, on demand breastfeeding, and indicators of adequate breast milk. The health education on breastfeeding should be promoted among the people with lower education, being pregnant, and taking care of newborns.
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