Development of Operational Training Course for Promoting Breastfeeding: A Case Study of Primary Care Unit

Abstract

Breastfeeding is crucial for achieving the country's sustainable development goals. Developing the capabilities of health staff and village health volunteers (VHVs) supported the success of breastfeeding initiatives. The research aimed to 1) develop a 12-hour breastfeeding promotion curriculum for primary care units, 2) enhance the knowledge, attitudes, and skills in breastfeeding promotion among staffs and VHVs in primary health care units, and 3) evaluate the quality of the 12-hour breastfeeding promotion curriculum in primary care units. The research employed a quasi-experimental design with health staff (N=7) and VHVs (n=29) who were responsible for promoting breastfeeding. The research tools included a breastfeeding training curriculum, knowledge tests, attitude assessments, skill evaluations, and questionnaires on applying knowledge and skills. These tools were reviewed by three experts, with content validity indices ranging from 0.66 to 1.00 and reliability values of 0.63, 0.84, and 0.76. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The findings indicated that 1) The training course consisted of 5 learning units, divided into 8 hours of theory and 4 hours of practice 2) knowledge significantly increased after training for both staff and VHVs (Z = -2.379, p = .017; Z = -4.069, p < .01). For staff, there was no significant difference in skills before and after training, while VHVs showed a significant increase in skills after training (Z = -3.564, p < .01). Attitudes did not differ significantly before and after training. 3) Evaluation of the training curriculum's quality three months post-training revealed that the knowledge and skills were applied, which enhanced breastfeeding promotion capacity and contributed to the development of health service systems in primary care settings.