Topic 2. Promoting breastfeeding
While the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to six months, local data showed that breastfeeding rates for Hong Kong infants dropped from 77% at one-month old to 42% at 6-months old. The exclusive breastfeeding rate remained low throughout the first 6 months (from 24% at one-month to 18% at 6 months).
In the written assignment:
(1) Using multi-level socio-ecological model, providing an in-depth analysis of breastfeeding uptake in Hong Kong and identifying factors influencing Hong Kong breastfeeding initiation and sustainability from all layers of the model.
(2) From the cultural perspective, compare and contrast barriers to breastfeeding uptake between Western and Asian communities. Discuss communication strategies to overcome these barriers.
(3) Explain how the cultural values and practices of the target population might affect the design and implementation of the proposed communication strategies, including a self-reflection on how your own cultural perspectives and biases may play an influence on the communication efforts.
References:
1. Betancourt, J. R., Green, A. R., Carrillo, J. E., & Owusu Ananeh-Firempong, II. (2016). Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Public health reports.
2. Kumar, S., Quinn, S. C., Kim, K. H., Musa, D., Hilyard, K. M., & Freimuth, V. S. (2012). The social ecological model as a framework for determinants of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine uptake in the United States. Health Education & Behavior, 39(2), 229-243.
3. Lekas, H. M., Pahl, K., & Fuller Lewis, C. (2020). Rethinking Cultural Competence:l Shifting to Cultural Humility. Health services insights, 13, 1178632920970580. https://doi.org/10.1177/1178632920970580
4. Schiavo, R. (2023). Embracing cultural humility in clinical and public health settings: a prescription to bridge inequities. Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 16(2), 123-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538068.2023.2221556