Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Among Healthcare Providers in Accredited and Non-Accredited Hospitals in Riyadh

Abstract Background/Objectives: The baby-friendly hospital initiative (BFHI), proposed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, aims to promote and maintain exclusive breastfeeding for newborns. There is insufficient literature on how this initiative has been effective to raise the breastfeeding promotion practices among the healthcare providers (HCPs) in Saudi Arabia. We aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of HCPs in OB/GYN and pediatrics departments regarding the BFHI and to assess the association between their KAP, their hospital’s BFHI accreditation status, and their BFHI training experience in addition to other variables that specifically influence knowledge. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out in three hospitals in Riyadh. Convenience sampling was used to enroll healthcare professionals as participants. The participants were approached in the OB/GYN and pediatrics departments, and data were collected from participants using a validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 29.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Among the 320 HCPs, 83 were from a BFHI-accredited hospital, whereas 237 were from nonaccredited hospitals. Forty-nine percent respondents were in the age group 20–29 and 78% were females. An association was found between the participants’ knowledge and breastfeeding training. Lack of BFHI training, lack of firsthand breastfeeding experience, and male gender were all associated with lower knowledge scores. Conclusions: Knowledge was found to be positively correlated with training for BFHI. Moreover, emphasis needs to be placed on the development of practical skills and the endorsement of HCPs to provide breastfeeding support to mothers and families.