Browsing by Author "Powell, Faye"

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    Improving support for breastfeeding mothers: a qualitative study on the experiences of breastfeeding among mothers who reside in a deprived and culturally diverse community
    (BioMed Central, 2021-04-06) Cook, Erica; Powell, Faye; Ali, Nasreen; Penn-Jones, Catrin; Ochieng, B.; Randhawa, Gurch
    Background: The United Kingdom has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe, with the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding shown to be closely related to the mothers’ age, ethnicity and social class. Whilst the barriers that influence a woman’s decision to breastfeed are well documented, less is known how these barriers vary by the UK’s diverse population. As such, this study aimed to explore mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding and accessing breastfeeding services offered locally amongst a deprived and culturally diverse community. Methods: A qualitative interpretive study comprising of 63 mothers (white British n = 8, Pakistani n = 13, Bangladeshi n = 10, black African n = 15 and Polish n = 17) who took part in single-sex focus groups, conducted in local community centres across the most deprived and ethnically diverse wards in Luton, UK. The focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically using Framework Analysis. Results: The most common barriers to breastfeeding irrespective of ethnicity were perceptions surrounding pain and lack of milk. Confidence and motivation were found to be crucial facilitators of breastfeeding; whereby mothers felt that interventions should seek to reassure and support mothers not only during the early stages but throughout the breastfeeding journey. Mothers particularly valued the practical support provided by health care professions particularly surrounding positioning and attachment techniques. However, many mothers felt that the support from health care professionals was not always followed through. Conclusions: The findings presented inform important recommendations for the design and implementation of future programs and interventions targeted at reducing breastfeeding inequalities. Interventions should focus on providing mothers practical support and reassurance not only during the early stages but throughout their breastfeeding journey. The findings also highlight the need for tailoring services to support diverse communities which acknowledge different traditional and familial practices.
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    ‘They are kids, let them eat’: A qualitative investigation into the parental beliefs and practices of providing a healthy diet for young children among a culturally diverse and deprived population in the UK
    (MDPI, 2021-12-11) Cook, Erica Jane; Powell, Faye; Ali, Nasreen; Penn-Jones, Catrin; Ochieng, B.; Constantinou, Georgina; Randhawa, Gurch
    In the UK ethnic minority children are at greater risk of obesity and weight-related ill health compared to the wider national population with the factors that influence the provision of a healthy diet among these populations less understood. An interpretive qualitative study com-prised of 24 single sex semi-structured focus groups was conducted with 110 parents (63 mothers and 47 fathers) of young children (aged 0-5). Participants were recruited from deprived and ethnically diverse wards in Luton, UK and self-identified as being white British, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, black African and Caribbean or Polish. The findings highlighted a wide range of inter-relating psychological and socio-cultural factors that inform and underpin parental beliefs and practices relating to providing children a healthy diet. Parents whilst aware of the im-portance of providing children a healthy diet; challenges, particularly among mothers surround-ing lack of time and balancing competing responsibilities were clear barriers to providing a healthy diet to children. Access, affordability of healthy food alongside the over exposure of cheap convenient and unhealthy processed foods made it increasingly difficult for parents to pro-vide a healthy diet to their growing families. Household food practices were also found to be situated within the wider context of socio-cultural and religious norms around cooking and eat-ing with cultural identity and upbringing.