Knowledge and Attitude towards Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices among fathers who attend Primary Health Care Facilities in Suburban, Malaysia

Introduction: A father’s knowledge and attitude towards exclusive breastfeeding are very important factors that contribute to the success of exclusive breastfeeding practices. Objectives: This study aims to compare knowledge and attitude regarding breastfeeding between fathers whose child was exclusively vs. not exclusively breastfed. Material and Method: A comparative cross sectional study was conducted on 200 fathers. Convenient sampling was applied for the exclusive breastfeeding group (cases) and systematic randomised sampling from an identified list with a ratio of 1:2 for the nonexclusive breastfeeding group (control). A self-administered questionnaire on knowledge and attitudes with regards to exclusive breastfeeding practice was then distributed among these samplings. The sampling included the biological fathers of a full-term and healthy singleton child of 6 months until 2 years of age. Participants who were illiterate, diagnosed with psychiatric disorders or had children with congenital disabilities, were excluded from the study. Results: A total of 196 respondents completed this study. There was no significant difference of knowledge and attitude scores between fathers whose child was exclusively vs. not exclusively breastfed. Conclusion: There was no difference in terms of knowledge and attitude of fathers between the exclusive vs. non-exclusive breastfeeding group.