Proposing an Assessment Tool for Breastfeeding Intentions and Readiness among Pregnant Women in Primary Healthcare Centers in Lebanon

Abstract

Breastfeeding has always been encouraged by healthcare providers worldwide. In order to support and promote breastfeeding, the World’s Health Organization has launched the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative at the inpatient setting. However, there has been no primary healthcare initiative dedicated to support and protect breastfeeding practices at the community level. Therefore, this project aims at providing an assessment instrument that would evaluate the intentions and readiness of pregnant mothers at the level of community towards breastfeeding practices as a first step towards primary initiative. This tool will help understanding the mothers’ health literacy, intentions and attitudes of the breastfeeding act. The assessment tool is previously provided by the Center of Disease Control but in English. This project provided a translated version of the instrument into the Arabic language and pilot tested the tool at the level of primary healthcare centers in north Lebanon over a sample of 8 primary healthcare nurses and 2 midwives. Preliminary results have shown that 100% of participants reflected that the tool is completely readable, clear and understandable. Also, participants reported a practical way to the introduction of the instrument and the importance of such an assessment in nursing practice. This pilot activity gives implications for a follow-up validity implementation project.