Breastfeeding Myths Among Nursing and Midwifery Students: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Vollständiger Abstract

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Background: Breastfeeding myths held by healthcare professionals may affect the accuracy and consistency of counseling provided to women and families. This study evaluated nursing and midwifery students’ breastfeeding myths and associated factors. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 218 nursing and midwifery students at a university in Türkiye. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form and the Breastfeeding Myths Scale (BMS). Descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, Spearman correlation, and a multivariable generalized linear model with robust covariance estimates were used. Results: The mean age was 21.24 ± 1.80 years, and 196 participants (89.9%) were female. The mean BMS score was 67.43 ± 16.39; 214 students (98.2%) had low myth levels and 4 (1.8%) had high levels. In unadjusted analyses, scores differed by gender, department, academic year, family breastfeeding experience, perceived knowledge, and age. In the adjusted model, female students had lower scores than male students (B = −9.481, 95% CI: −18.261 to −0.700, p = 0.034), nursing students had lower scores than midwifery students (B = −4.557, 95% CI: −8.321 to −0.793, p = 0.018), and each one-year increase in age was associated with a 1.52-point decrease in BMS scores (B = −1.524, 95% CI: −2.884 to −0.163, p = 0.028). Academic year, parental education, family income, family breastfeeding experience, and perceived knowledge were not independently associated with BMS scores. Conclusions: Most students had low levels of breastfeeding myths. Female gender, nursing enrollment, and older age were associated with lower BMS scores; however, the gender finding should be interpreted cautiously because all male participants were nursing students.