Abstract

Community-Centered Black Mothers Breastfeeding Club Model

Kiddada Green, MAT1 and Angela Johnson, PhD, MA2
(1)Black Mothers' Breastfeeding Association, Detroit, MI, (2)University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI

APHA 2016 Annual Meeting & Expo (Oct. 29 - Nov. 2, 2016)

Background: Four decades of persistent racial disparity in breastfeeding behavior leaves African American mothers and babies at risk for poorer health outcomes including obesity, higher morbidity and infant mortality rates. Current interventions are disjointed, and inadequately meet African American women's unique social, cultural, and psycho-emotional breastfeeding support needs. Many breastfeeding support groups are often unable to sustain participation and engagement of mothers. Current breastfeeding support models lack social and cultural context, mother-led approach, critical community input, and valuable dialectical interaction. Research suggests a need for an integrative approach to address the complexity of interrelated breastfeeding barriers that African American mothers experience across layers of the social ecological system. Methods: Black Mothers' Breastfeeding Club (BMBFC) is based on a collective impact framework that involves a centralized infrastructure, a dedicated staff, and a comprehensive process. BMBFC's integrative process is compared to a social ecological framework. Results: This session will: (1) demonstrate how the BMBFC community-centered, mother-led creates effective support that cultivates breastfeeding behavior among African American mothers. (2) analyze the BMBFC model as a culturally relevant community-based support program that reflects key social ecological factors including peer support to holistically address African American's unique socio-cultural perspectives. Conclusion: This session demonstrates a best-practice strategy for successfully supporting breastfeeding in African American women.

Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs