Rediscovering empowerment with breastfeeding in an urban First Nation’s population
BACKGROUND: An inner-city neighbourhood of Regina, Saskatchewan continues to have recurring issues of drug and alcohol use affecting parents’ caregiving opportunity. In relation to this, many children, mostly of First Nations descent, are raised in out-of-home care away from their families. With the...
| Published in: | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BioMed Central
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6924141/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31856755 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-2631-x |
| Summary: | BACKGROUND: An inner-city neighbourhood of Regina, Saskatchewan continues to have recurring issues of drug and alcohol use affecting parents’ caregiving opportunity. In relation to this, many children, mostly of First Nations descent, are raised in out-of-home care away from their families. With the promotion of breastfeeding, in a neighbourhood prenatal/postnatal support program, breastfeeding rates have doubled and mothers’ participation in their children’s care has increased. Recognition and promotion of cultural beliefs about breastfeeding is integral to raise community awareness of the practice. To bring additional support for breastfeeding, the empowerment effects observed were measured. METHODS: Using a longitudinal study design, indicators of empowerment were assessed prenatally and again at two months postpartum. Indicators included self-esteem, caregiving activities, and drug and alcohol use. Outcomes of assessments were correlated to infant feeding practices and findings compared. RESULTS: Findings supported a statistically significant improvement for empowerment scores when mothers breastfed. Mean scores for self-esteem increased from 2.87 to 3.57 (r = .90, p = <.001); for caregiving, scores increased from 2.60 to 3.16 (r = .91, p = <.001); and for drug and alcohol use, scores decreased from 59 to 9% (p = <.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study brings attention to the value of breastfeeding for caregiving in situations of addiction and limited resources. Practitioner reflexivity in regards to their support for breastfeeding is critical and includes openness to alternate breastfeeding situations and beliefs. The study found that a positive outlook on breastfeeding is the first step for a practitioner-client relationship that fosters confidence for marginalized populations. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: According to research, less breastfeeding occurs when mothers are marginalized. In turn, as marginalization increases, a mother’s self-esteem regarding her ability to adequately care for her child decreases. ... |
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