INFANT-FEEDING GUIDELINES - AN EVALUATION OF THEIR EFFECT ON HEALTH-PROFESSIONALS KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES

Consensus infant feeding guidelines, which were developed by a multidi sciplinary working group, were adopted by the Eastern Health and Socia l Services Board (EHSSB) N. Ireland, in 1991. Implementation of the gu idelines was undertaken using a cascade approach. Implementation teams were established in each of the nine Units of Management. These teams were provided with training and extra resources to facilitate the imp lementation process. In 1991, prior to the implementation of the guide lines, a postal survey was undertaken to establish the knowledge of in fant feeding and attitudes to breastfeeding of health professionals wo rking in the EHSSB area. Knowledge and attitude scales were developed for the questionnaire. The survey was repeated in 1993 to evaluate the impact and penetration of the guidelines. The penetration of the guid elines was good, 81% of respondents had read them. The knowledge of he alth professionals was significantly greater in 1993 than in 1991 (P<0 .0001); reading the guidelines was an independent variable for knowled ge score (eta(2) = 0.20, P<0.0001). Health visitors exhibited the high est and general practitioners the lowest mean knowledge scores. Attitu de scores in the 1993 survey were almost identical to those found in 1 991; reading the guidelines was an independent variable for attitude s core (P<0.0001), however the size of the effect was small (eta(2)=0.04 ).