"It's Okay With Our Culture but We're in a Different Place and We Have to Show Respect": Marshallese Migrants and Exclusive Breastfeeding Initiation.
Britni L Ayers, Rachel S Purvis, Cari A Bogulski and 4 others
PMID 35337206WHAT IT FOUND
Marshallese mothers often combined breastfeeding with formula, especially when work was coming.
They also avoided breastfeeding in public because they felt it was inappropriate in US culture and wanted to show respect.
Key findings
01At postpartum interviews, most participants described feeding their infants both breast milk and formula.
02Work outside the home influenced infant feeding decisions, and some participants delayed formula until returning to work.
03Participants described not breastfeeding in public because they felt it was inappropriate in US culture and wanted to show respect.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
All participants were recruited in Arkansas, so the findings may not apply to Marshallese or Pacific Islander communities elsewhere. Participants knew the study focus and may have given more socially acceptable answers. Marshallese study staff collected and translated data, which could introduce bias. COVID-19 prevented in-person member checking with participants, so themes were verified only with Marshallese data collectors.
Declared interests
The article is listed as having NIH extramural and non-U.S. Government research support. The authors reported no conflicts of interest and no non-academic authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not generalize these findings to all Marshallese or Pacific Islander mothers. All participants were recruited in Arkansas, and the study described experiences rather than measuring breastfeeding outcomes.