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Breastfeeding and Childhood Obesity Among African Americans: A Systematic Review

Camber Hess1, Agatha Ofei, Alicia Mincher

  • 1Camber Hess is a family nurse practitioner at Premier Family Medical, Pleasant Grove, UT. She can be reached via e-mail at camberhess@gmail.com Agatha Ofei is a family nurse practitioner at Calvary Medical Clinic, Charlotte, NC. Alicia Mincher is a staff nurse at Cincinnati Children's hospital in Cincinnati, OH.

MCN. the American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing
|August 22, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding may protect African American children from obesity. More research is needed, but current evidence suggests a benefit, highlighting the need for healthcare providers to discuss breastfeeding with African American women.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition

Background:

  • African Americans experience lower breastfeeding rates and higher obesity rates compared to other US ethnicities.
  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern with long-term health implications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the correlation between breastfeeding practices and childhood obesity among African Americans in the United States.
  • To synthesize existing evidence on the impact of breastfeeding on obesity risk in this specific demographic.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies identified through CINAHL, PubMed, and Google Scholar.
  • Inclusion criteria focused on studies examining breastfeeding and childhood/adolescent obesity in African Americans.
  • Twelve observational studies met the inclusion criteria.

Main Results:

  • Eight of the twelve observational studies indicated a protective effect of breastfeeding against childhood obesity in African Americans.
  • Four studies yielded inconclusive results regarding the association.
  • No randomized-controlled trials or meta-analyses were identified.

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence suggests a potential protective effect of breastfeeding against childhood obesity in the African American population.
  • Limitations include the observational nature of studies and the inclusion of other ethnicities.
  • Further research is necessary to generalize findings; healthcare providers should address breastfeeding benefits and barriers.
Abstract

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