Breastfeeding rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia: a systematic review and narrative analysis

Springall, Tanisha L; McLachlan, Helen; Forster, Della; Browne, Jennifer; Chamberlain, Catherine

doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2022.02.011

Cited by 5 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…6 Nationally, a recent systematic review reported that 79% of First Nations women and infants initiated breast feeding. 7 For First Nations women and infants in this study, rates of breast feeding initiation (96%) are equivalent to those reported for non-Indigenous women.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

“…6 National data report First Nations (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander) women and infants have lower breast feeding initiation (87%) and breast feeding maintenance to 12 months (12%) than the national average, 6 although a recent systematic review of 22 studies that aimed to determine rates of breast feeding for First Nations women and infants in Australia found that overall, only 79% of First Nations infants received breast milk after birth. 7 A recent systematic review found that geographic location, attending a First…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rates of breast feeding and associated factors for First Nations infants in a hospital with a culturally specific caseload midwifery model in Victoria, Australia: a cohort study

et al. 2023

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ObjectivesThere is an urgent need to improve breast feeding rates for Australian First Nations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) infants. We explored breast feeding outcomes of women having a First Nations infant at three sites that introduced a culturally specific continuity of midwife care model.DesignWomen having a First Nations infant booking for pregnancy care between March 2017 and November 2020 were invited to participate. Surveys at recruitment and 3 months post partum were developed with input from the First Nations Advisory Committee. We explored breast feeding intention, initiation, maintenance and reasons for stopping and factors associated with breast feeding.SettingThree tertiary maternity services in Melbourne, Australia.ParticipantsOf 479/926 eligible women approached, 343 (72%) completed the recruitment survey, and 213/343 (62%) the postnatal survey.OutcomesPrimary: breast feeding initiation and maintenance. Secondary: breast feeding intention and reasons for stopping breast feeding.ResultsMost women (298, 87%) received the culturally specific model. Breast feeding initiation (96%, 95% CI 0.93 to 0.98) was high. At 3 months, 71% were giving ‘any’ (95% CI 0.65 to 0.78) and 48% were giving ‘only’ breast milk (95% CI 0.41 to 0.55). Intending to breast feed 6 months (Adj OR ‘any’: 2.69, 95% CI 1.29 to 5.60; ‘only’: 2.22, 95% CI 1.20 to 4.12), and not smoking in pregnancy (Adj OR ‘any’: 2.48, 95% CI 1.05 to 5.86; ‘only’: 4.05, 95% CI 1.54 to 10.69) were associated with higher odds. Lower education (Adj OR ‘any’: 0.36, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.98; ‘only’: 0.50, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.96) and government benefits as the main household income (Adj OR ‘any’: 0.26, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.58) with lower odds.ConclusionsBreast feeding rates were high in the context of service-wide change. Our findings strengthen the evidence that culturally specific continuity models improve breast feeding outcomes for First Nations women and infants. We recommend implementing and upscaling First Nations specific midwifery continuity models within mainstream hospitals in Australia as a strategy to improve breast feeding.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rates of breast feeding and associated factors for First Nations infants in a hospital with a culturally specific caseload midwifery model in Victoria, Australia: a cohort study

et al. 2023

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“…This review, along with previous reviews [27,58,59] found that fathers have a crucial influence on women's infant feeding decisions and that, having a supportive partner helped to enable breastfeeding. There is evidence to suggest that being partnered is associated with higher breastfeeding initiation among Aboriginal women [17]; however, this review found that not all fathers were supportive of their partners breastfeeding as the breast was perceived, in some instances, as a sexual body part belonging to the partner and some fathers did not want their partner to breastfeed in public where other men could see them [43].…”

Section: Relational Factorsmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…A key finding of this review is that Aboriginal mothers have expressed a preference for attending ACCHOs and to be guided by Aboriginal health workers who have specialised knowledge about infant feeding that is both relevant and culturally sound. A preference for receiving maternal and child health care from ACCHOs is supported by the findings of a recent review of quantitative studies which found that attending an Aboriginal specific service was associated with increased breastfeeding initiation and maintenance [17]. ACCHOs provide holistic, culturally appropriate primary health care, health education and information, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people [53].…”

Section: Community/organisational Factorsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The 2018-2019 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey found that although the majority (87%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0-2 years had received some breastmilk only 12% had been breastfed for 6-12 months and only 7% for 12 months or more [16]. The findings of a recent systematic review suggest that, with the exception of women living in remote areas, rates of breastfeeding initiation, maintenance and exclusivity are consistently lower among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women compared with non-Indigenous mothers [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors influencing infant feeding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families: a systematic review of qualitative evidence

et al. 2023

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Background Breastfeeding provides all the necessary energy and nutrients for an infant and provides many benefits for mothers and babies. The effects of colonisation have contributed to reduced prevalence and duration of breastfeeding among Australian Aboriginal women and widespread use of infant formula as a substitute for breastmilk. This review aimed to synthesise qualitative evidence about the factors that influence breastfeeding and infant feeding practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families. Methods MEDLINE, CINAHL, Informit and Google Scholar were systematically searched for qualitative studies that included the perspective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families about the factors influencing infant feeding decisions. Included studies were appraised using an Indigenous quality assessment tool and were synthesised via inductive thematic analysis informed by an ecological framework. Results The search identified 968 studies with 7 meeting the inclusion criteria. Key factors influencing breastfeeding and infant feeding practices of Aboriginal women included cultural practices, normalisation of bottle feeding, shame associated with breastfeeding in public, access to culturally safe nutrition education, support services and health professionals, family/partner support, knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding, experiences with previous babies and concern that the baby was not getting enough milk. Conclusion The perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women must be considered when providing breastfeeding and infant feeding advice. This can be achieved through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people designing, implementing, and leading the delivery of education and information regarding breastfeeding and health infant feeding practices that have been influenced by the priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

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Effectiveness of a food literacy and positive feeding practices program for parents of 0 to 5 years olds in Western Australia

Tartaglia¹,

Jancey

Jordan

et al. 2023

Health Prom J of Aust

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Issue AddressedLifelong eating behaviours are established in childhood. Improving parents' food literacy skills is essential, as parents play a fundamental role in establishing their children's healthy eating behaviours and preferences for nutritious food. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an innovative program that combines food literacy with positive parent feeding practices, targeting parents in disadvantaged areas of Western Australia.MethodsThe Food Sensations® for Parents five‐week program was delivered to participants from community‐based parenting organisations during 2020 and 2021. Formative research and a pre‐post evaluation design were adopted.ResultsPre‐ and post‐evaluation data were collected from 224 participants (96% female). There was a statistically significant improvement in the mean score for 13 food literacy behaviours, 10 positive parenting feeding practices and a mean increase in parents' daily vegetable intake of 1/3 serve. Participants reported significantly greater net improvements in food literacy behaviours than feeding practices, the largest being the Use a nutrition information panel to make food choices (33.1%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses found English as a first language, being older than 35, and from a higher Socio‐Economic Index for Areas resulted in a higher likelihood of positive changes in behaviours and practices.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that the program is effective in improving the frequency of use of food literacy behaviours, positive parenting feeding practices and increasing vegetable consumption.So What?Analysing improvements in food literacy behaviours and feeding practices provides clarity on what change can be expected with a five‐week parent program.

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Breastfeeding rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia: a systematic review and narrative analysis

Cited by 5 publications

References 51 publications

Rates of breast feeding and associated factors for First Nations infants in a hospital with a culturally specific caseload midwifery model in Victoria, Australia: a cohort study

Rates of breast feeding and associated factors for First Nations infants in a hospital with a culturally specific caseload midwifery model in Victoria, Australia: a cohort study

Factors influencing infant feeding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families: a systematic review of qualitative evidence

Effectiveness of a food literacy and positive feeding practices program for parents of 0 to 5 years olds in Western Australia

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