Barriers and challenges to breastfeeding among black women: an integrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18310/2446-4813.2026v12n3.5144Keywords:
Breast Feeding, Barriers to Breastfeeding, Black People, Public HealthAbstract
Objectives: To analyze the available evidence in the literature on the barriers and challenges faced by Black people in the breastfeeding process. Data source: An integrative literature review was conducted in three databases: BDENF (Nursing Database), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences), and MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine's), using the descriptors "Breastfeeding," "Black Population," and the Boolean operator "AND" to refine the information and direct the data search. Summary of conclusions: The scarcity of specific studies highlights important gaps in the literature; the limited number of studies reinforces the need to expand investigations that address, in an intersectional way, the barriers and challenges faced by Black people in breastfeeding.
References
1. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Guia alimentar para crianças brasileiras menores de dois anos. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2021.
2. Silva FK, Silva NC. Aleitamento materno e alimentação complementar. Rev Saude Meio Amb. 2022;14(1):101-14.
3. Almeida RA, et al. Desafios para o suporte à amamentação em homens transgêneros sob à luz da interseccionalidade. Cien Saude Colet. 2024;29:e02842023.
4. Balogun OO, O'Sullivan EJ, McFadden A, Ota E, Gavine A, Garner CD, et al. Interventions for promoting the initiation of breastfeeding. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;11(11):CD001688.
5. Santos SJ, et al. Qualidade da alimentação complementar em crianças brasileiras. Rev Eletron Acervo Saude. 2024;24(10):e17821.
6. Fanta M, Cherie HA. Magnitude and determinants of appropriate complementary feeding practice among mothers of children aged 6–23 months in Western Ethiopia. PLoS One. 2020;15(12):e0244277.
7. Silva IA, Utiyama SK. Situação de amamentação entre mulheres trabalhadoras e alunas de graduação e pós-graduação de uma universidade pública. Acta Sci Health Sci. 2003;25(2):215-24.
8. Rollins NC, Bhandari N, Hajeebhoy N, Horton S, Lutter CK, Martines JC, et al. Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices? Lancet. 2016;387(10017):491-504.
9. Robinson K, Fial A, Hanson L. Racism, bias, and discrimination as modifiable barriers to breastfeeding for African American women: a scoping review of the literature. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2019;64(6):734-42.
10. Boccolini CS, Boccolini PMM, de Carvalho ML, Oliveira MIC. Inequalities in breastfeeding indicators in Brazil. Rev Saude Publica. 2019;53:46.
11. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Política Nacional de Saúde Integral da População Negra. 3ª ed. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2017.
12. Safon CB, McCloskey L, Cole MB, Erbetta K, Lobb R, Emmons KM. Disparities in breastfeeding among U.S. Black mothers: identification of mechanisms. Breastfeed Med. 2021;16(2):140-9.
13. Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, Mulrow CD, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ. 2021;372:n71.
14. Gallegos D, Vicca N, Streiner S. Breastfeeding beliefs and practices of African women living in Brisbane and Perth, Australia. Matern Child Nutr. 2015;11(4):727-36.
15. Lutenbacher M, Karp SM, Moore ER. Reflections of Black women who choose to breastfeed: influences, challenges and supports. Matern Child Health J. 2016;20(2):231-9.
16. Oliveira JE, et al. Resultados perinatais e do primeiro ano de vida segundo cor da pele materna: estudo de coorte. Rev Esc Enferm USP. 2019;53:e03447.
17. Carlin RF, et al. Impact of personal social network types on breastfeeding practices in United States-Born Black and White women. Breastfeed Med. 2021;16(10):807-13.
18. Bicchieri C, et al. Examining norms and social expectations surrounding exclusive breastfeeding: evidence from Mali. PLoS One. 2021;16(7):e0254887.
19. Sales C, Castanha A, Aléssio R. Aleitamento materno: representações sociais de mães em um distrito sanitário da cidade do Recife. Arq Bras Psicol. 2017;69(1):184-99.
20. Alves JS, Oliveira MIC, Rito RVVF. Orientações sobre amamentação na atenção básica de saúde e associação com o aleitamento materno exclusivo. Cien Saude Colet. 2018;23(4):1077-88.
21. Palmer JR, Cozier YC, Rosenberg L. Research on health disparities: strategies and findings from the Black Women’s Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2023;192(11):1801-12.
22. Njoku A, et al. Listen to the whispers before they become screams: addressing Black maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11(3):322.
23. Buxbaum SG, et al. Breastfeeding among Hispanic and Black Women: Barriers and Support. J Biomed Res Environ Sci. 2023;4(8):1268-73.
24. Tucker JL, et al. Racial and ethnic disparities in hospital breastfeeding care in the US. Matern Child Health J. 2025;29(2):173-82.
25. Robinson K, et al. Racism and resistance: a qualitative study of bias as a barrier to breastfeeding for Black mothers. Health Serv Res. 2021;56(S2):1212-3.
26. Acquaye SN, Spatz DL. Black families who choose long-term breastfeeding. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2024;49(1):15-21.
27. Roess AA, et al. Differences in breastfeeding rates among African Americans, Black immigrants, and Hispanic Black individuals compared to other race/ethnicity groups for infants born between 2011 and 2022. Am J Public Health. 2025;115(11):1938-41.
28. Oliveira BMC, Kubiak F. Racismo institucional e a saúde da mulher negra: uma análise da produção científica brasileira. Saude Debate. 2019;43(122):939-48.
29. Awelewa T, Murra A, Story WT. Developing a framework for culturally sensitive breastfeeding interventions: a community needs assessment of breastfeeding experiences and practices in a Black immigrant community. Nutrients. 2025;17(13):2094.
30. Azevedo HAP, et al. Repercussões da violência obstétrica no processo de amamentação: análise sob a ótica racial. Acta Paul Enferm. 2024;37:eAPE00774.
31. Miranda VT, et al. The obstetric violence, racism, and their consequences in the life of Black women. Res Soc Dev. 2025;14(4):e1814448513.
32. Rea MF. Avaliação das práticas diferenciais de amamentação: a questão da etnia. Rev Saude Publica. 1994;28(5):365-72.
33. Tiburcio GR. Análise de tendência temporal dos indicadores de práticas alimentares em crianças brasileiras menores de 24 meses, segundo raça/cor de pele, entre os anos de 2015–2022 [dissertação]. Maceió: Universidade Federal de Alagoas; 2024.
34. Kalluri NS, et al. Racial and ethnic disparities in mother’s milk provision among mothers of preterm infants. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(5):e2510781.
35. Larsen N, et al. Racial disparities in mother’s own milk feedings persist after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. Breastfeed Med. 2025;20(3):187-93.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Séphora Juliana dos Santos, Samara Santos Batista, Matheus Vieira Oliveira, Pedro Ivo da Silva Lima
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Os direitos autorais para artigos publicados neste periódico são do autor, com os direitos de publicação para o periódico. Este periódico é de acesso público, os artigos são de uso gratuito, com atribuições próprias, desde que citada a fonte (por favor, veja a Licença Creative Commons no link a seguir https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.pt_BR).
