NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: health, Tlîchô, breast feeding, aboriginal women

Objective(s): To conduct a retrospective chart audit to provide epidemiological data on the breast feeding rate of Tlicho women; to conduct semi structured interviews with Tlicho mothers and elders to provide culturally specific data on the determinants of breast feeding; and to informed from the data in objective 1 and 2, create a health promotion video to encourage exclusive breast feeding among Tlicho mothers.

Project Description: The objectives of this research project are: 1) to conduct a retrospective chart audit to provide epidemiological data on the breast feeding rate of Tlicho women; 2) to conduct semi structured interviews with Tlicho mothers and elders to provide culturally specific data on the determinants of breast feeding; and 3) informed from the data in objectives 1 and 2, create a health promotion video to encourage exclusive breast feeding among Tlicho mothers. Convenience sampling will be used to collect data on Tlicho women who gave birth at Stanton hospital between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012. Data will be recorded using a paper data abstraction tool. One audit tool will be completed for each birth included in the sample. Data collection will remain anonymous. Chart numbers will be retained in a separate file. An anonymous coding system will be created so that there are no identifiable factors. Measures that will be collected are the mother’s parity, mother’s year of birth, apgar score of the child, type of delivery, if the mother was intending to breastfeed on admission, if breastfeeding was initiated, if supplementation was given, and if so if it was water and or formula. If it is predicted that the rate of exclusive breast feeding is 50%, with a confidence interval set at .20 and a 95% confidence interval then the research team wants to be 95% confident that the result falls between 40 and 60%. The sample size required for this calculation is 96. Inclusion criteria are all women from fifteen (emancipated minor) years of age and up who self-identify as Tlicho, residing in one of the four Tlicho communities (Behchoko, Gameti, Wekweeti and Whati) who gave birth at Stanton hospital. Non-Tlicho women and stillbirths will be excluded. Semi structured qualitative interviews will take place in Behchoko to capture determinants of breast feeding for Tlicho women. Purposeful sampling will be used to recruit participants, Tlicho mothers and elders. Interviews, no longer than 60 minutes will follow a semi structured format, be recorded and stored in a password protected computer. Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Individuals interviewed for the study will receive a copy of their transcript and have an opportunity to add or delete from their interview. Voluntary consent for photographs and filming will be obtained and stored in a separate file and will be password protected. Anonymity in this process will not occur, but data will be confidential with no identifiers. Content thematic analysis will be conducted. The retrospective chart audit results and the qualitative results will be triangulated and provide the foundation for the video and the booklet. Tlicho child bearing women and elders will be recruited and filmed for a health promotion breast feeding video. Health professionals and community members are collaborators and own the data and the product. The CART team will facilitate and assist with filming and production. Coming to know the community includes activities at the health centre, Tlicho government, local community events, and the Healthy Baby’s Initiative Program. Key stakeholders and champions of breast feeding in the communities will be identified. The process itself allows for ongoing communication between the research team and the stakeholders. A local community advisory group will oversee the project with monthly meetings which will also ensure effective communication. The data and the video and booklet will be owned and stored by the Tlicho government. The research process and results will be disseminated in poster format at the University of British Columbia and with the Public Health Agency of Canada (who have placed a practicum student with ARI) in a publication in a peer-reviewed health promotion journal. Presentation will also occur at a national public health conference. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from March 22, 2013 to April 19, 2013.