Factors associated with breastfeeding initiation and maintenance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia: A systematic review and narrative analysis.

Abstract

Background: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter referred to as Aboriginal) women breastfeed at lower rates than non-Aboriginal women. Little is known about factors associated with breastfeeding specific to Aboriginal women and infants. Aim: Determine the protective and risk factors associated with breastfeeding for Aboriginal women in Australia. Methods: CINAHL, Medline, EMBASE, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane library were searched for peer-reviewed literature published between 1995 and 2021. Quantitative studies written in English reporting protective and risk factors associated with breastfeeding for Aboriginal women or women having an Aboriginal infant were incl..