Mom Knows Best Study
By Dr. Christina Kasprzak
Why is this study needed?
Breastfeeding confers numerous health benefits for both mother and child; however, despite improvements on a national level of breastfeeding rates, disparities have widened for certain racial and ethnic groups. The gap between white and non-Hispanic black (NHB) women has worsened, with only 73.6% of NHB women-initiated breastfeeding compared to 85.5% of white women in 2019. These racial disparities in breastfeeding are concerning because minorities, including NHB women, are disproportionately affected by adverse health outcomes.
What will the study entail?
We aim to conduct up to 100 interviews with prenatal and postpartum NHB women across Western New York (WNY) to understand factors that impact a mother’s decision of how they will choose to feed their infant. Interviews will be conducted virtually and based on the different stages of change of the transtheoretical model. Participants will be compensated $30 for participating in a one-hour interview.
What is the potential impact of this study?
We will identify barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding among NHB women throughout the decision-making process. These findings will be utilized to inform a systematic, community-engaged design process of a culturally tailored breastfeeding promotion program specifically for NHB women. We aim for the resulting program to be a turnkey set of practices that can be easily adopted by practitioners or integrated into existing programs (e.g., peer counselor program). We hope that designing the program based on the stages of change will allow us to meet women where they are in terms of what support they need and to help them reach their individual goals. This study also addresses a gap in research among minorities across all socioeconomic backgrounds, not just lower-income communities.
Who is the researcher?
Dr. Kasprzak is a behavioral nutritionist, lactation consultant, Research Assistant Professor, and 3rd year Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior at the University at Buffalo. Dr. Kasprzak will lead and oversee this study with mentorship support from Dr. Lucia Leone. She has nearly a decade of experience working in community nutrition including the WIC and SNAP programs, with several years working in the field predominantly in the east side of Buffalo.
Who is the funder?
This study is funded by a 5-year K99/R00 award through the National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).
What is the role of community partners?
We would like to establish partnerships with organizations and stakeholders that work closely with the prenatal and postpartum NHB community in WNY to act as liaisons to facilitate recruitment efforts. We anticipate that this will entail disseminating recruitment materials (e.g., flyers, social media post) to the individuals they work with (e.g., patients, parishioners; etc.). However, we are open and flexible to feedback from partners as you are deeply embedded in the community. We hope that these partnerships and our relationship with the coalition will be ongoing and include regular involvement in all aspects of this 5-year study.
Dr. Christina Kasprzak can be reached at cmk27@buffalo.edu.