A practical intervention to increase breastfeeding initiation among Cambodian women in the US.
Cambodians have the lowest breastfeeding initiation rate of any racial/ethnic group in Massachusetts. One barrier to breastfeeding is a lack of hospital foods that allow women to follow a traditional diet postpartum. We examined whether a culturally acceptable menu for new Cambodian mothers would increase breastfeeding initiation in the hospital. After a staff training program on breastfeeding, and the creation of a Cambodian menu, initiation rates increased significantly more in Cambodians than in non-Cambodians. Pre intervention, breastfeeding initiation was 16.7% (2/12) among Cambodians, compared to 60.6% (106/175) among non-Cambodians (P = 0.003). Post intervention, there was no significant difference between breastfeeding initiation rates among Cambodian women (66.7%; 8/12) compared to non-Cambodians (68.9%; 104/151) (P = 0.874).
Galvin
Sharon
S
Division of Maternal/Child, Saints Medical Center, Lowell, MA, USA.
Grossman
Xena
X
Feldman-Winter
Lori
L
Chaudhuri
Jana
J
Merewood
Anne
A
D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology*; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000208:ethnology*; D002160:Cambodia / Q000208:ethnology; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005260:Female; D005521:Food Service, Hospital; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008404:Massachusetts; D008612:Menu Planning; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000379:methods*
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