Early Infant Feeding Practices among Women Engaged in Paid Work in Africa : A Systematic Scoping Review
Mgongo, Melina ; Ickes, Scott B ; Leyaro, Beatrice J ; Mboya, Innocent B LU
; Grounds, Samantha
; Seiger, Emily R
; Hashim, Tamara
; Conklin, Jamie L
; Kimani-Murage, Elizabeth
and Martin, Stephanie L
(2024)
In Advances in Nutrition
15(3).
- Abstract
Around the world, paid work without appropriate structural support is a key barrier to optimal breastfeeding practices. To better protect, promote, and support optimal breastfeeding practices among working women in Africa, this scoping review sought to understand how paid work influences infant feeding practices in the first 6 mo of life and what support women need to manage work and optimal infant feeding practices. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Global Health, and CINAHL Plus, screened 2436 abstracts, and reviewed 322 full-text articles using Covidence for review and charting. We identified 203 articles that met the inclusion criteria. We identified 32 quantitative, 10 qualitative, 3 mixed-methods, and 2 review articles... (More)
Around the world, paid work without appropriate structural support is a key barrier to optimal breastfeeding practices. To better protect, promote, and support optimal breastfeeding practices among working women in Africa, this scoping review sought to understand how paid work influences infant feeding practices in the first 6 mo of life and what support women need to manage work and optimal infant feeding practices. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Global Health, and CINAHL Plus, screened 2436 abstracts, and reviewed 322 full-text articles using Covidence for review and charting. We identified 203 articles that met the inclusion criteria. We identified 32 quantitative, 10 qualitative, 3 mixed-methods, and 2 review articles that focused on examining the relationship between work and breastfeeding, and 109 quantitative, 22 qualitative, 21 mixed-methods, and 4 review articles that included work as part of broader breastfeeding research but did not focus on work. Most studies reported a significant negative association between work and exclusive breastfeeding. Three major domains were reported in the qualitative studies: challenges to managing work and infant feeding, receiving support from employers and family members/caregivers, and strategies for feeding infants when the mother is working. Reviewed studies proposed recommendations to increase support for breastfeeding through changes to policies and support within worksites, the health system, and childcare; however, evidence of previously implemented policies or programs is limited. We recommend more consistent definitions and measurement of women's work. Future research is needed on the impact of implementing various strategies and benefits for breastfeeding at workplaces, as well as efforts to support breastfeeding among informal workers.
(Less)
- author
- Mgongo, Melina
; Ickes, Scott B
; Leyaro, Beatrice J
; Mboya, Innocent B
LU
; Grounds, Samantha
; Seiger, Emily R
; Hashim, Tamara
; Conklin, Jamie L
; Kimani-Murage, Elizabeth
and Martin, Stephanie L
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Advances in Nutrition
- volume
- 15
- issue
- 3
- article number
- 100179
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85185324391
- pmid:38246350
- ISSN
- 2161-8313
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100179
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
- id
- 947b4832-75cb-47f9-82af-f686f91659be
- date added to LUP
- 2024-02-16 09:48:46
- date last changed
- 2024-04-23 18:18:48
@article{947b4832-75cb-47f9-82af-f686f91659be,
abstract = {{<p>Around the world, paid work without appropriate structural support is a key barrier to optimal breastfeeding practices. To better protect, promote, and support optimal breastfeeding practices among working women in Africa, this scoping review sought to understand how paid work influences infant feeding practices in the first 6 mo of life and what support women need to manage work and optimal infant feeding practices. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Global Health, and CINAHL Plus, screened 2436 abstracts, and reviewed 322 full-text articles using Covidence for review and charting. We identified 203 articles that met the inclusion criteria. We identified 32 quantitative, 10 qualitative, 3 mixed-methods, and 2 review articles that focused on examining the relationship between work and breastfeeding, and 109 quantitative, 22 qualitative, 21 mixed-methods, and 4 review articles that included work as part of broader breastfeeding research but did not focus on work. Most studies reported a significant negative association between work and exclusive breastfeeding. Three major domains were reported in the qualitative studies: challenges to managing work and infant feeding, receiving support from employers and family members/caregivers, and strategies for feeding infants when the mother is working. Reviewed studies proposed recommendations to increase support for breastfeeding through changes to policies and support within worksites, the health system, and childcare; however, evidence of previously implemented policies or programs is limited. We recommend more consistent definitions and measurement of women's work. Future research is needed on the impact of implementing various strategies and benefits for breastfeeding at workplaces, as well as efforts to support breastfeeding among informal workers.</p>}},
author = {{Mgongo, Melina and Ickes, Scott B and Leyaro, Beatrice J and Mboya, Innocent B and Grounds, Samantha and Seiger, Emily R and Hashim, Tamara and Conklin, Jamie L and Kimani-Murage, Elizabeth and Martin, Stephanie L}},
issn = {{2161-8313}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Advances in Nutrition}},
title = {{Early Infant Feeding Practices among Women Engaged in Paid Work in Africa : A Systematic Scoping Review}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100179}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100179}},
volume = {{15}},
year = {{2024}},
}