Breastfeeding promotion competency training for members of the Basic Health Team

Abstract

Introduction: Inadequacies detected in the implementation of educational interventions for the promotion of breastfeeding highlighted the need to structure and implement breastfeeding promotion competencies in the members of the basic health team.

Objective: To design and evaluate the breastfeeding promotion competency in members of the Basic Health Team.

Methods: Quantitative study with non-experimental, observational, cross-sectional design, which covered the period from January 1 to December 31, 2022, at the “Joaquín Albarrán” teaching polyclinic of the Centro Habana municipality, Cuba. The 26 family physicians and 26 nurses of the health care center were included in the study, which constitutes the universe.

Results: Insufficiencies were observed in the breastfeeding promotion by the Basic Health Team. The breastfeeding promotion competency was designed and evaluated during the academic, work education and research activities carried out by the members of the Basic Health Team and an improvement in the indicators for it was observed.

Conclusions: The breastfeeding promotion competency was designed and evaluated in members of the basic health team. The introduction of this competency significantly improved the performance of the family physician and nurse in educating pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and the family about the use of breastfeeding.