<![CDATA[ABSTRACTBackground: Maternal ignorance regarding nutritional needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding is influenced by the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of health workers in providing nutrition counseling to mothers.Objective: This study aims to analyze the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of health professionals regarding maternal nutrition.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April-June, 2025 in Bandung, Indonesia. A census approach was used by inviting all 80 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs/Puskesmas) to participate; 77 PHCs/Puskesmas returned completed questionnaires. All eligible healthcare workers involved in maternal and child health services within participating PHCs/Puskesmas were invited to complete a validated questionnaire administered via Google Forms. Knowledge and practice items were scored dichotomously (1 = correct/appropriate; 0 = incorrect), while attitudes were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Median values were used to categorize KAP outcomes, and associations were analyzed using chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.Results: Results showed that 75.07% of healthcare workers demonstrated good knowledge, yet only 61.13% exhibited positive attitudes. Knowledge gaps existed for portion recommendations. Bivariate analysis revealed significant associations between profession and attitudes (p=0.043) and practices (p=0.002), and between training attendance and attitudes (p=0.015). Multivariate analysis identified profession as the strongest independent predictor of practices: midwives (OR=6.664; 95% CI: 2.166-20.504; p<0.001), nutritionists (OR=3.952; 95% CI: 1.315-11.876; p=0.014) and public health officer (OR=4.483; 95% CI: 1.829-10.987; p=0.001) showed significantly higher odds compared to doctors. Only 15.13% had attended recent maternal nutrition training.Conclusion: Professional background is the strongest determinant of maternal nutrition counseling effectiveness. Addressing the KAP gap through profession-specific, continuous training is crucial to enhance nutrition services during pregnancy and lactation and support stunting prevention efforts. Keywords : Attitude; healthcare workers; knowledge; maternal; nutrition counseling]]>
Copyrights © 2026
