A Survey on the Knowledge and Attitudes of Women in Taegu toward Weaning Diet for Infants.

Successful weaning is very important to provide adequate nutrients for normal growth and to induce a good diet habit. We conducted a survey on the knowledge and attitudes of women who live in Taegu toward weaning in infants, to figure out how much they know about weaning diet for the infants, which source they prefer to get the information about weaning diet, whether their knowledge affect their practice about weaning in infants, and the most effective way to educate them. A survey was conducted with the prepared questionnaire on women who responded at the residential area and market place, and those who visited Department of Pediatrics, Yeungnam University Hospital from July 25 to September 15, 1997. Statistical analysis was done with student t-test and ANOVA using SPSS program. Among total 303 responders, those who aged between 30 and 39 years were 37.2%. Scores for the six questions about weaning policy showed highest in the age group between 30 and 39 years. Higher score was recorded in the more educated group, in those who get informations about weaning diet from books, magazines and pediatricians. The majority of the responders had wrong concepts, such as feeding weaning diet using bottle(69.1%), feeding mixed with formula in the same bottle(64.5%), addition of salt(68.4%). Those who had higher educational level preferred books, magazines rather than neighbors or mother to get informations about weaning diet. Those who preferred books or magazines started weaning, stopped bottle feeding, and used spoon earlier, and their children had unbalanced diet habits less frequently. Home-made food was used most frequently, and commercial products were used less frequently. Those who were employed preferred home-made food rather than commercial products, it may be caused by the difference of the educational backgrounds from those of the unemployed. In conclusion, most responders ask neighbors and mother to get informations about weaning, and the incorrect knowledge from them could cause inadequate weaning practice and induce bad diet habit in their children. We have to find the reasons why they did not refer books or magazines frequently, and the way to resolve the problem.