Building a baby-friendly community: Development, strategy, implementation and evaluation of a BFCI program

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Health
• Health Promotion

Background:

• Knowledge gaps among community stakeholders hinder the creation of breastfeeding-friendly environments.
• Implementing a baby-friendly community initiative (BFCI) addresses these gaps and supports the broader baby-friendly hospital initiative (BFHI).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a baby-friendly community initiative (BFCI) model on various community stakeholders.
• To assess the effectiveness of BFCI training on breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental research design was employed.
• The study involved training based on an accredited BFCI framework conducted in public premises and online workshops.
• Paired sample t-tests and analysis of variance were used to analyze changes in scores.

Main Results:

• A total of 2340 perinatal women and 1339 staff participated.
• Staff showed significant increases in breastfeeding knowledge (5.8) and attitude (6.1) scores.
• Perinatal women demonstrated significant increases in breastfeeding self-efficacy (6.6) and attitude (3.3) scores.

Conclusions:

• The BFCI model, incorporating community participation and accreditation, effectively promotes breastfeeding.
• Adapting BFCI to local contexts and using social theory enhances promotion and infant health outcomes.
• Culturally sensitive breastfeeding education is crucial for successful BFCI implementation and broader community health benefits.