The Role of Cultural and Religious Beliefs of Human Milk in Shaping Attitudes Toward Human Milk Banks in Turkish Society

Background: Human milk banks (HMBs) are increasingly common around the world to provide a vital source of nutrition for babies who do not have the chance to receive human milk. However, religious beliefs are an important consideration in the acceptance of HMBs. Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive and cross-sectional study, conducted in Turkish society, is to determine the role of cultural and religious beliefs regarding human milk in shaping the attitudes toward HMBs. Methods: Data were collected between April and September 2022 from 456 individuals aged 19 to 70. An investigator developed survey collected data on sociodemographic information, the value given to human milk, the views about HMBs, and religious beliefs. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: People who supported HMBs and want these banks to be established in our country, those who will donate or donate their milk, and those who want their babies to be given milk from HMBs were found to value human milk more. It was also determined that these people had lower levels of religious belief ( P < .05). Implications for Practice and Research: The results of this study revealed that Turkish society values mother’s milk. In addition, it was determined that there was a positive relationship between attitudes toward HMBs and the value attributed to mother’s milk, while a negative relationship was observed with levels of religious belief.