Breastfeeding beliefs and experiences of African immigrant mothers in high‐income countries: A systematic review

• Published in: Maternal and child nutrition 2020-07, Vol.16 (3), p.e12970-n/a
• Main Authors: Odeniyi, Adefisayo O., Embleton, Nicholas, Ngongalah, Lem, Akor, Wanwuri, Rankin, Judith
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Africa - ethnology; African cultural groups; African immigrant; African languages; attitudes; Babies; beliefs; Best practice; Breast feeding; Breast Feeding - psychology; breastfeeding; Breastfeeding & lactation; Child development; Childhood obesity; Children; Chronic diseases; Chronic illnesses; Citations; Cultural change; Cultural factors; Cultural values; Demography; Developed Countries; Diabetes; Disease; Diseases; Economic factors; Emigrants and Immigrants - psychology; Extraction; Female; Health aspects; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; High income; Humans; Immigrants; Immune system; Income; Industrialized nations; infant feeding; Infants; Infectious diseases; Knowledge; Low income groups; Maternal and infant welfare; Medical personnel; Migrants; Migration; Minority & ethnic groups; Mixed methods research; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Nutrition; Obesity; Original; Qualitative research; Self evaluation; Sociodemographics; Strategic planning; Support networks; Systematic review; Type 2 diabetes; Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• ISSN: 1740-8695; 1740-8709
• DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12970

Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition for the healthy growth of infants and is associated with reduced risks of infectious diseases, child and adult obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Migration has been shown to influence breastfeeding especially among migrants from low‐and‐middle‐income countries. This mixed‐methods systematic review aimed to identify, synthesise, and appraise the international literature on the breastfeeding knowledge and experiences of African immigrant mothers residing in high‐income countries. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge databases were searched from their inception to February 2019. Grey literature, reference, and citation searches were carried out and relevant journals hand‐searched. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently carried out by two reviewers. An integrated mixed‐methods approach adopting elements of framework synthesis was used to synthesise findings. The initial searches recovered 8,841 papers, and 35 studies were included in the review. Five concepts emerged from the data: (a) breastfeeding practices, showing that 90% of African mothers initiated breastfeeding; (b) knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes, which were mostly positive but included a desire for bigger babies; (c) influence of socio‐demographic, economic, and cultural factors, leading to early supplementation; (d) support system influencing breastfeeding rates and duration; and (e) perception of health professionals who struggled to offer support due to culture and language barriers. African immigrant mothers were positive about breastfeeding and willing to adopt best practice but faced challenges with cultural beliefs and lifestyle changes after migration. African mothers may benefit from more tailored support and information to improve exclusive breastfeeding rates.