Mothers' and physicians' sources of information on infant feeding: relation to nutrition knowledge and attitudes

A survey was conducted with 148 women patients (131 first-time mothers and 17 pregnant women) of ten physicians to determine their channels of information and specific sources within each channel on infant feeding and to examine where they receive their information in relation to their level of nutrition knowledge and selected nutrition-related attitudes and beliefs. It was shown that physicians are frequently used as a source of information on infant nutrition, but are not the women's primary source. Several information channels (formal, media, professional, and interpersonal) and different sources within each channel were used according to the type of information needed. Specific channels of nutrition information were related to whether the mothers breast-fed or bottle-fed their infants, their nutrition knowledge score, and to certain attitudes about nutrition and health.