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Changes in knowledge, attitude and involvement of fathers in supporting exclusive breastfeeding: a community-based intervention study in a rural area of Vietnam

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

To test the hypotheses of positive changes of fathers’ knowledge, attitude and involvement in supporting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) after receiving breastfeeding education materials and counseling services.

Methods

A quasi-experimental, pre-test–post-test, non-equivalent control group design was used. At baseline, 251 and 241 pregnant women and their husbands were enrolled into the intervention and control groups, respectively. The 1-year intervention targeting fathers included mass media, game show-style community events, group and individual counseling at health facilities and home visits.

Results

Compared to fathers in the control group, fathers in the intervention group had higher BF knowledge scores and higher attitude scores reflecting more positive attitudes toward early initiation of BF and 6 months EBF. Fathers in the intervention group were also more likely to report active involvement in supporting mothers to practice EBF during antenatal and postpartum periods.

Conclusions

The community-based education model should be maintained and considered for conducting further test in wider application to mobilize fathers in supporting EBF.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to FHI 360, through the Alive and Thrive Small Grants Program managed by UC Davis. We would like to thank the research team, the fathers, mothers and infants for their time and effort and the district and commune health centers in Chi Linh and Thanh Ha for their collaboration in this study.

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Correspondence to Tran Huu Bich.

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Funding

This study was funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to FHI 360, through the Alive and Thrive Small Grants Program (Grant Number 09-000076-AT10-2HSP).

Conflict of interest

Author THB has received research grants from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to FHI 360. THB acted as principal investigator of the study, developed the study design and analyzed data together with NMC. We declare no conflict of interests.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Hanoi School of Public Health. Verbal informed consent was chosen as an appropriate method to obtained consent from study subjects for participation in the study.

Additional information

This article is part of the supplement “Health and social determinants of health in Vietnam: local evidence and international implications”.

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Bich, T.H., Cuong, N.M. Changes in knowledge, attitude and involvement of fathers in supporting exclusive breastfeeding: a community-based intervention study in a rural area of Vietnam. Int J Public Health 62 (Suppl 1), 17–26 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0882-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0882-0

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