Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112054

Sirad A. Abdirahman, MPH¹, Andrea L. Leinberger-Jabari, MPH¹, LuAnn Werner, MA¹, Diana DuBois, MPH/MIA¹, Nathaly Herrel, MSc¹, Saeed Fahia, PhD², Qamar Ibrahim, MS³, Khadija Sheikh¹, and Marian Del, BSc². (1) Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV), 122 West Franklin Avenue, Suite #510, Minneapolis, MN 55404, 612-230-3254, aleinberger@mihv.org, (2) Brian Coyle Community Center, Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota (CSCM), 420 15th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55454, (3) Leadership, Empowerment, and Development Group (LEAD), 1313 5th Street SE, Suite 223B, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Abstract=Background: Minnesota is home to over half of all the Somali refugees in the US, with population estimates ranging up to 60,000. Despite being one of the healthiest states in the nation, there are still very large health disparities that persist within Minnesota's immigrant and refugee communities.

Methods/Approach: In 2003, MIHV along with two other Somali-led organizations conducted a community-based participatory survey on health issues in the Somali community. The survey attempted to identify health knowledge, practices and health care coverage in the Somali community. A total of 296 in-person interviews were conducted. Of this sample, 104 women were asked about their breastfeeding practices. Follow up focus groups (3 groups with a total of 25 women) exploring breastfeeding practices were conducted to inform the results of the initial survey.

Results: The survey results showed that nine in ten women said they breastfed or were currently breastfeeding their children and 47% had breastfed their children for at least ten months. However, 40% of breastfeeding mothers did not exclusively breastfeed their children. Focus groups revealed that, on average, women had three children, they breastfed between 3 months and 2years and most women trust their older female relatives and doctors to give them breastfeeding information.

Recommendations: Although many women reported breastfeeding for longer periods of time, it is important to create more awareness around exclusive breastfeeding. Exclusive breastfeeding can be incorporated in family planning programming as a viable culturally-appropriate contraceptive method. Programming should also incorporate both traditional and Western sources of breastfeeding information.

Learning Objectives: Learning objectives

At the end of the session, participants will be able to
• Describe some of the breastfeeding practices of Somali women in Minnesota;
• Recognize the use of the multi-method approach to data gathering and its impact on community-based intervention planning; and
• Discuss recommendations for health professionals in creating evidence-based programming to promote exclusive breastfeeding among Somali women.

Keywords: Breastfeeding,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:


I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation

Breastfeeding and Infant Nutrition Practices

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA