Exploring Professional Intervention and Support for Breastfeeding Practices in the Primary Health Care Centers in Qatar: A Mixed-Method Study (2012 -2013)
Granting Agency: Qatar National Research Fund, Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP). $60,000.00 USD.
B.Nikaiin: Primary Faculty member; T.T. Donnelly: Faculty member
Project Summary
Breastfeeding is recognized as an important source of nutrition and sustenance for infants and toddlers and has also been linked to aspects of emotional and psychological development. However, between 2000-2007 in Qatar only 12% of babies under 6 months were exclusively breastfed, 42% were breastfed with complementary food between the ages of 6-9 months and 12% breastfed for 20-23 months.
The purpose of the study is to assist the healthcare providers in Qatar in identifying effective health care strategies to promote breastfeeding. The researchers would like to gain insight on the support systems that are available to women in primary health care centres, explore the breastfeeding promotion initiatives that are required to be implemented in the primary health care centres to improve breastfeeding practices in Qatar and the culturally appropriate ways of implementing the suggested initatives.
The study is being conducted in Doha at 5 primary health care centres. 30 nurses/pediatricians/family physicians who are involved with prenatal and post-partum care for women have been invited to participate in the study. Questions have been asked about current support programs, the challenges of promoting breastfeeding, the ways to overcome the challenges and their overall opinion on how to use professional support to improve breastfeeding practices.
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