Abstract
Background:
Increasing breastfeeding rates among low-income African American women may work toward the achievement of health equity. The dynamic breastfeeding assessment process (D-BAP) is a community-grounded, equity-focused intervention designed to increase prenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy.
Research aim:
The aims of the pilot study were (a) to determine the effect of the D-BAP on breastfeeding self-efficacy among pregnant, low-income African American women, (b) to examine the findings among women with no previous breastfeeding experience, and (c) to compare the findings between women with prior breastfeeding experience and those without it.
Methods:
A pre/post, paired-samples design was utilized. Convenience sampling was used to recruit pregnant, low-income African American women (N = 25). Participants completed the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form prior to and following the D-BAP.
Results:
The Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated that participation in the D-BAP had a statistically significant influence on breastfeeding self-efficacy (z = −2.01, p = .04). Among a subsample of participants with no previous breastfeeding experience (n = 12), completion of the D-BAP resulted in a statistically significant increase in breastfeeding self-efficacy (z = −2.36, p = .02). There was no statistically significant difference between those with prior breastfeeding experience and those without it.
Conclusion:
Breastfeeding among low-income African American women is a health equity issue for which culturally responsive, effective breastfeeding interventions are needed. This research demonstrates an association between completion of the D-BAP and an increase in prenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
