Published: March 2021

Journal: International Journal for Equity in Health

Authors: Segura-Pérez S, Hromi-Fiedler A, Adnew M, Nyhan K, Pérez-Escamilla R

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In the U.S., strong ethnic/racial, socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic breastfeeding inequities persist, and African American and Hispanic women are less likely to meet their breastfeeding goals compared to White women. This systematic review was designed to answer the question: What is the impact of breastfeeding interventions targeting ethnic/racial minority women in the U.S. on improving BF initiation, duration and exclusivity rates? The systematic review was conducted following the Institute of Medicine Guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. The review included 60 studies. It found that policy and community level interventions delivered through WIC, healthcare facilities, and community agencies are likely to improve breastfeeding outcomes among women of color. The combination of interventions at different levels of the socioecological model has not been studied among minority women in the U.S. Implementation science research is needed to learn how best to scale up and sustain effective breastfeeding interventions, taking into account the needs and wants of minority women.

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