Breastfeeding among Vietnamese women in Ho Chi Minh City: Attitudes and confidence

Breastfeeding has several advantages for both mother and child. A woman’s attitude to breastfeeding is a good predictor for infant feeding method and her confidence in breastfeeding has an impact on her breastfeeding duration. Aim:The aim of the study was to assess the attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding among Vietnamese women in Ho Chi Minh City. The aim was also to investigate if the type of family, nuclear and extended, influences the Vietnamese women’s attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding. Method: A descriptive and comparative cross-section study with quantitative method was used. The Self-Care Theory and The Cultural Care Diversity and Universality Theory were used as theoretical framework of this study. A questionnaire which consisted of demographic information, attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding, was distributed to 110 voluntarily participating women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Results: The results showed that the women had an attitude in favour of breastfeeding and rated their confidence between "sometimes confident" and "often confident". No significant differences of total score, between nuclear and extended family, in attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding were shown. Conclusion: The attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding among the women in Ho Chi Minh City were rather good but improvements can be made. When healthcare professionals counsel Vietnamese women, in Sweden and Vietnam, about breastfeeding, this result can be used as guidance, in order to give relevant and cultural congruent advice