A systematic review of peer support interventions for breastfeeding

Kaunonen, Marja; Hannula, Leena; Tarkka, Marja‐Terttu

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04071.x

Cited by 84 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(281 reference statements)

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“…182 The importance of social networks was noted in a breastfeeding systematic review, in which the benefits listed by the women included opportunities for social contact, to talk about problems, and to make friends. 183 Similar social contexts and value systems facilitate rapport, 3 which reflects the finding in our review that shared values are as important as perceived. The ethnicity review noted the importance of encouraging social support and including social support affected participation and retention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…164 The persistent focus on individual interventions has been noted in breastfeeding, where a 2012 review found that in 30 research articles and four reviews published between 2000 and 2008, the majority of peer-support programmes for breastfeeding women consisted of individual interventions. 183 Authors with extensive expertise in reviewing the breastfeeding literature have concluded that interventions need to focus on 'the centrality of relationships'. 131 Community locales need to be defined by first identifying people who possess membership to a group, common symbol systems, shared values and norms, shared needs and shared emotional connections.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, an intervention with prospective community involvement experienced good attendance. 183 The Liu et al review, 118 which contained 173 reports of adapted health promotion interventions, confirmed that collaboration was of great importance with both local and respected leaders, as well as ethnic-specific institutions and professional organisations.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Can community-based peer support promote health literacy and reduce inequalities? A realist review

Harris

Springett

Croot

et al. 2015

Public Health Research

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BackgroundCommunity-based peer support (CBPS) has been proposed as a potentially promising approach to improve health literacy (HL) and reduce health inequalities. Peer support, however, is described as a public health intervention in search of a theory, and as yet there are no systematic reviews exploring why or how peer support works to improve HL.ObjectiveTo undertake a participatory realist synthesis to develop a better understanding of the potential for CBPS to promote better HL and reduce health inequalities.Data sourcesQualitative evidence syntheses, conceptual reviews and primary studies evaluating peer-support programmes; related studies that informed theoretical or contextual elements of the studies of interest were included. We conducted searches covering 1975 to October 2011 across Scopus, Global Health (including MEDLINE), ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database (PQDT) [including the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) and Social Work Abstracts], The King’s Fund Database and Web of Knowledge, and the Institute of Development Studies supplementary strategies were used for the identification of grey literature. We developed a new approach to searching called ‘cluster searching’, which uses a variety of search techniques to identify papers or other research outputs that relate to a single study.Study eligibility criteriaStudies written in English describing CBPS research/evaluation, and related papers describing theory, were included.Study appraisal and synthesis methodsStudies were selected on the basis of relevance in the first instance. We first analysed within-programme articulation of theory and appraised for coherence. Cross-programme analysis was used to configure relationships among context, mechanisms and outcomes. Patterns were then identified and compared with theories relevant to HL and health inequalities to produce a middle-range theory.ResultsThe synthesis indicated that organisations, researchers and health professionals that adopt an authoritarian design for peer-support programmes risk limiting the ability of peer supporters (PSs) to exercise autonomy and use their experiential knowledge to deliver culturally tailored support. Conversely, when organisations take a negotiated approach to codesigning programmes, PSs are enabled to establish meaningful relationships with people in socially vulnerable groups. CBPS is facilitated when organisations prioritise the importance of assessing community needs; investigate root causes of poor health and well-being; allow adequate time for development of relationships and connections; value experiential cultural knowledge; and share power and control during all stages of design and implementation. The theory now needs to be empirically tested via further primary research.LimitationsAnalysis and synthesis were challenged by a lack of explicit links between peer support for marginalised groups and health inequalities; explicitly stated programme theory; inconsistent reporting of context and mechanism; poor reporting of intermediate process outcomes; and the use of theories aimed at individual-level behaviour change for community-based interventions.ConclusionsPeer-support programmes have the potential to improve HL and reduce health inequalities but potential is dependent upon the surrounding equity context. More explicit empirical research is needed, which establishes clearer links between peer-supported HL and health inequalities.Study registrationThis study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42012002297.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Can community-based peer support promote health literacy and reduce inequalities? A realist review

Harris

Springett

Croot

et al. 2015

Public Health Research

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“…However, since population-wide interventions can potentially increase social inequalities through greater uptake and improvements among advantaged individuals (33) , it is important to identify specific barriers to breast-feeding among the most disadvantaged. Evidence suggests that peer support programmes in combination with professional support are effective in increasing breast-feeding rates (34) . With high maternal BMI being associated with socioeconomic disadvantage (16)(17)(18) as well as difficulties in breast-feeding (35) , we should not discount this as another key area in reducing inequalities in breast-feeding.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

High education and increased parity are associated with breast-feeding initiation and duration among Australian women

Holowko

Jones

Koupil

et al. 2016

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: Breast-feeding is associated with positive maternal and infant health and development outcomes. To assist identifying women less likely to meet infant nutritional guidelines, we investigated the role of socio-economic position and parity on initiation of and sustaining breast-feeding for at least 6 months. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Australia. Subjects: Parous women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (born 1973-78), with self-reported reproductive and breast-feeding history (N 4777). Results: While 89 % of women (83 % of infants) had ever breast-fed, only 60 % of infants were breast-fed for at least 6 months. Multiparous women were more likely to breast-feed their first child (~90 % v.~71 % of primiparous women), and women who breast-fed their first child were more likely to breast-feed subsequent children. Women with a low education (adjusted OR (95 % CI): 2·09 (1·67, 2·62)) or a very low-educated parent (1·47 (1·16, 1·88)) had increased odds of not initiating breast-feeding with their first or subsequent children. While fewer women initiated breast-feeding with their youngest child, this was most pronounced among high-educated women. While~60 % of women breast-fed their first, second and third child for at least 6 months, low-educated women (first child, adjusted OR (95 % CI): 2·19 (1·79, 2·68)) and women with a very low (1·82 (1·49, 2·22)) or low-educated parent (1·69 (1·33, 2·14)) had increased odds of not breast-feeding for at least 6 months. Conclusions: A greater understanding of barriers to initiating and sustaining breastfeeding, some of which are socio-economic-specific, may assist in reducing inequalities in infant breast-feeding. KeywordsBreast-feeding initiation Breast-feeding duration Social inequalities Socio-economic position Infant feeding guidelinesThe Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend exclusive breast-feeding of infants up to at least 6 months, with further continued breast-feeding up to 12 months and beyond (1) . These recommendations are based on the numerous positive and protective short-/long-term effects of breast-feeding for both the infant and mother (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7) and are in accordance with the WHO recommendation of exclusive breast-feeding up to 6 months, followed by an introduction of complementary foods and continued breast-feeding thereafter (2) .In 2010, it was estimated that breast-feeding was initiated with 96 % of Australian infants; however, only 15 % of infants were exclusively breast-fed up to the recommended 6 months (21 % predominantly breast-fed) (6) . With 60 % of infants breast-fed at all (be it exclusive, full/predominant or complementary) at 6 months, information about breast-feeding duration based on birth order is scarce.Maternal attributes positively associated with breastfeeding initiation and duration include: higher maternal age (6,(8)(9)(10)(11) ; higher maternal education (6,(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13) , although not in all studies (10) ; higher family income (8) ; being married (9,11) , although no...

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“…5 The authors speculated on the difference between their results and those documented in other populations, particularly in patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus where peer support has been documented as effective. 6 It must be noted that that the patient populations in successful trials are quite different from patients with HF.…”

Section: Article See P 246mentioning

confidence: 99%

Does Peer Support Help Patients With Heart Failure?

Dracup

2013

Circ: Heart Failure

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A systematic review of peer support interventions for breastfeeding

Cited by 84 publications

References 36 publications

Can community-based peer support promote health literacy and reduce inequalities? A realist review

Can community-based peer support promote health literacy and reduce inequalities? A realist review

High education and increased parity are associated with breast-feeding initiation and duration among Australian women

Does Peer Support Help Patients With Heart Failure?

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