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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Lindsay MacAuley, MPH¹, Sharon Galvin, RN, IBCLC, LCCE², Lori B. Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH³, and Anne Merewood, MPH, IBCLC¹. (1) Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, 91 E Concord St 4th Fl Rm 4121, Boston, MA 02118, 617 414 6466, lindsay.macauley@bmc.org, (2) Department of Nursing, Saints Memorial Medical Center, 1 Hospital Drive, Lowell, MA 01852, (3) Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Regional Hospital at Cooper-UMDNJ-RWJMS, 401 Haddon Avenue, Room 366, Camden, NJ 08103

Background: Cambodian immigrants have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Massachusetts; 50% of Cambodians breastfeed compared to 82% of all Asians. At Saints Memorial Medical Center (SMMC), an urban hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts with 700 births per year, 13% of all births are to Cambodian women. During a breastfeeding staff training program, clinicians and Cambodian peer counselors expressed the belief that a prime barrier to breastfeeding among Cambodians in the immediate postpartum period was absence of culturally acceptable foods in the hospital. Many Cambodians follow specific cultural practices around hot and cold foods, which are considered particularly important postpartum for the child's future well-being. Aim: The lactation team created a goal of implementing a menu that would allow postpartum Cambodian women to adhere to their cultural diet. Method: Lactation staff performed informal interviews with families to determine appropriate foods and approached the hospital Cambodian interpreters to verify the information. The Director of Food and Nutrition was approached with a proposal for culturally appropriate menu options and ingredients. A new computer option was implemented with the help of the IT department to allow staff on birthing unit to request this Cambodian menu for their patients. Results: A Cambodian menu was developed and initiated, initially for postpartum women, but was quickly adopted to serve all Cambodian patients at the 199-bed institution. Conclusion: A dietary initiative started by the hospital lactation team was expanded to provide culturally sensitive care for a significant minority population in this inner-city hospital.

Learning Objectives: Attendees will be able to

1)Identify culturally appropriate foods for Cambodian women in the post-partum period. 2)Describe Cambodian cultural practices in the post-partum period. 2)Identify population health benefits for Cambodian families by providing culturally approoriate foods.
• Describe the process for changing hospital menus at a community hospital.
• Apply the knowledge and understanding of implementing hospital-wide menu changes to their own institution.

Keywords: Cultural Competency, Breastfeeding

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered