Abstract

Background: The objectives of this study were: 1) to demonstrate the knowledge of married working women regarding benefits of breastfeeding; 2) to documenttheir intention and practice of breastfeeding; and 3) to identify the barriers of breastfeedingamong thesewomen.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during March-April 2014 amongmarried working class women of childbearing age (21-40 years). The participants were recruited from seven faculties of Kuwait University and four private universities which represented the working class women in Kuwait. Data were collected by usinga self-administered questionnaire.
Results: Sixty-nine percent of the women strongly agreed that breastfeeding should begin within the first hour of birth. About 70% planned to breastfeed their children, and 28% strongly agreed to continue it for 6 months. The actual practice of breastfeeding longer than 6 months was significantly higher among non- Kuwaitis than Kuwaitis (61.5% vs. 29.7%, p<0.001). Embarrassment and time and social constraints were considered two major barriers of breastfeeding. The scores for the perceived barriers were significantly lower among women with higher education and women of non-Kuwaiti nationals.
Conclusion: The study demonstrated possible barriers against breastfeeding which should help health planners in promoting breastfeeding in a society with low rates of breastfeeding.