VIDEO: Black mothers identify sleep and nutrition as barriers to breastfeeding in pilot study

ORLANDO — Nutrition and sleep were identified as the most influential barriers to breastfeeding for Black women, according to a poster presented at the Lifestyle Medicine Conference.

Rates of breastfeeding are lower in Black populations than in other racial groups, and researchers at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University aimed to identify why this is, as well as how to increase breastfeeding numbers in this population.

“This is an area where we can continue to study over time and maybe create interventions within our communities,” Jennifer S. Lee, DO, associate professor of family medicine at Wright State University and one of the study’s authors, told Healio.

In a small pilot study of 9 participants utilizing the Lifestyle Medicine Assessment, the researchers asked what was most likely to keep them from breastfeeding and then created “smart goals” to work through these barriers.

Recovery or sleep was cited by 44.4% of participants, with nutrition and movement being named by 22.2% each. Connectedness was the reason cited by 11.1%.

Smart goals were created for 30% of subjects regarding nutrition and recovery and for 20% regarding movement and connectedness.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include more clear language regarding the study's nature.