Knowledge, Intention, Practice, and Perceived Barriers of Breastfeeding among Married Working Women in Kuwait

Background: The objectives of this study were: 1) to demonstrate the knowledge of married working women regarding benefits of breastfeeding; 2) to documenttheir intention and practice of breastfeeding; and 3) to identify the barriers of breastfeedingamong thesewomen. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during March-April 2014 amongmarried working class women of childbearing age (21-40 years). The participants were recruited from seven faculties of Kuwait University and four private universities which represented the working class women in Kuwait. Data were collected by usinga self-administered questionnaire. Results: Sixty-nine percent of the women strongly agreed that breastfeeding should begin within the first hour of birth. About 70% planned to breastfeed their children, and 28% strongly agreed to continue it for 6 months. The actual practice of breastfeeding longer than 6 months was significantly higher among non- Kuwaitis than Kuwaitis (61.5% vs. 29.7%, p