College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
Office of Community Health and Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
Int Breastfeed J. 2021 Aug 28;16(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s13006-021-00412-1.
Arkansas has the largest population of Marshallese Pacific Islanders residing in the continental United States. Marshallese are disproportionately burdened by poorer maternal and infant health outcomes. Exclusive breastfeeding can prevent or help mitigate maternal and infant health disparities. However, exclusive breastfeeding among United States Marshallese communities remains disproportionately low, and the reasons are not well documented. This paper describes the protocol of a mixed-methods concurrent triangulation longitudinal study designed to explore the beliefs and experiences that serve as barriers and/or facilitators to exclusive breastfeeding intention, initiation, and duration among Marshallese mothers in northwest Arkansas.
The mixed-methods design collects qualitative and quantitative data during simultaneous data collection events, at third trimester, six weeks postpartum, and six months postpartum. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analyzed separately and then synthesized during the interpretation phase. The research team will disseminate results to study participants, research stakeholders, the broader Marshallese community, and fellow researchers.
Findings and results will be presented in subsequent manuscripts upon completion of the study. This study will be an important first step to better understand beliefs and experiences to exclusive breastfeeding intention, initiation, and duration in this community and will inform tools and interventions to help improve health outcomes. The study will also aid in filling the gap in research and providing essential information on the infant feeding beliefs and barriers among a Marshallese community in Arkansas.
阿肯色州是居住在美国大陆的马绍尔群岛太平洋岛民中人口最多的州。马绍尔群岛人在孕产妇和婴儿健康结果方面负担过重。纯母乳喂养可以预防或减轻孕产妇和婴儿健康方面的差异。然而，美国马绍尔群岛社区的纯母乳喂养率仍然过低，其原因尚未得到充分记录。本文描述了一项混合方法的同期三角纵向研究的方案，旨在探讨马绍尔群岛裔母亲在阿肯色州西北部对纯母乳喂养意愿、开始和持续时间的信念和经验，这些信念和经验是造成母乳喂养率低的障碍和/或促进因素。
混合方法设计在同期数据收集活动中收集定性和定量数据，在妊娠晚期、产后六周和产后六个月进行。定量和定性数据将分别进行分析，然后在解释阶段进行综合。研究小组将向研究参与者、研究利益相关者、更广泛的马绍尔社区和研究同行传播研究结果。
研究完成后，将在随后的论文中介绍研究结果。这项研究将是了解该社区中纯母乳喂养意愿、开始和持续的信念和经验的重要的第一步，并将为改进健康结果的工具和干预措施提供信息。该研究还将有助于填补研究空白，并提供关于阿肯色州马绍尔社区婴儿喂养信念和障碍的重要信息。
