The Marri gudjada project: Improving the nutrition of aboriginal infants using peer support workers

We will evaluate the effect of scheduled breastfeeding peer support for and by Aboriginal women, on breastfeeding initiation and prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks, four months and six months post–birth. Survey data will be collated from participants via phone or email. Our intervention will utilise both face-to-face peer support for and by Aboriginal women and employ innovative aspects such as social media, video & telephone calls by Aboriginal peer workers for a period of six months postnatally. Aboriginal peer support workers will be employed 3 days a week for 3 years at each intervention site (n=3). Six maternal and child health services in NSW will be recruited and randomised to intervention (peer-support worker) or control (usual care). Peer-support workers will aim to provide weekly contact with participants for the first 6 weeks and participants can access the peer-support worker for up to 6 months. Interviews and/or focus groups with members of the community and service staff will be completed pre and post intervention for qualitiative evaluation. This project will also develop educational videos to support breastfeeding which will then be evaluated through small focus groups or interviews using yarning methodology. Videos will aim to be developed and evaluated in 2023 and include mothers who are pregnant and those with babies and children.