Abstract

AGUILAR LIENDO, Ana María; CASANOVAS VARGAS, del Carmen  and  ALEJO POCONA, Jimmy. Impact of structured teaching about infant and young child feeding on knowledge and practices of university students. Cuad. - Hosp. Clín. [online]. 2016, vol.57, n.1, pp.9-17. ISSN 1562-6776.

Research question What would be the impact ofa structured teaching on breastfeeding and complementary feeding on the knowledge and practices of medical students? Objectives To determine the degree of knowledge and skills among medical students at Universidad Mayor de San Andres after the implementation of a theoretical and practical structured teaching on breastfeeding and complementary feeding. Methodology A quasi experimental methodology was used to estimate the difference in knowledge and practices after the application of a structured teaching on breastfeeding and complementary feeding to undergratuate students of the Medical School at Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in 2015. The teaching included 12 hours of theoretical and practical sessions using the Model Chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health professionals and the 2006 World Health Organization multicentre growth reference study. Activities included pre and post teaching tests, breastfeeding practices at Women's Hospital and Human Milk Bank and complementary feeding practices at 'Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uria' Children's Hospital. The analysis was done calculating the potential maximum score, the scores achieved by students, and comparing the statistical differences between pre and post test, according to gender, components and groups of students. Results Pre and post test results of each one of university students were analyzed, 56 female and 34 male. The results were divided in four components: breastfeeding, complementary feeding, growth and development and skills. An overall improvement, statistically significant, was found for all components when comparing pre and posttest. When the analysis was done by gender, the four components and groups according to timing on their pediatric rotation, there were no statistically significant differences. Discussion and conclusion The authors relate this experience on preservice education on priority health programs with that reported in the international literature. This study shows the positive effect of theoretical and practical teaching using structured material and methods, specially designed for preservice education

Keywords : Preservice education; breastfeeding; complementary feeding; growth and development.

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