Established Evidence Results

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Materials, Other Education, Technology-Based Support, COMMUNITY, Social Media, Social Supports,

Intervention Description: This study investigates the experiences of women using a social media Facebook group for breastfeeding support and attempts to explore whether it has aided in extended breastfeeding success. In addition, it aims to explore the value of social cognitive theory (SCT) in explaining these experiences. Qualitativ, audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews were conducted from eight women who were members of a private Facebook group.

Intervention Results: A number of themes were identified from the women's experiences, with analysis uncovering the superordinate theme 'increased self-efficacy' which provided an understanding of how the group impacted women's experiences and aided them in breastfeeding success. The sub-themes of education, accessibility, online community, normalization, and extended goals provided a more detailed understanding of how self-efficacy was increased through group membership.

Conclusion: The symbiotic relationship between members of a social media group facilitates greater breastfeeding success and a longer duration of breastfeeding through the central concept of the SCT: reciprocal determinism. Therefore, it is posited that the SCT is a suitable theory of behaviour change which can potentially be used to develop interventions aiming to increase breastfeeding rates and duration.

Study Design: Qualitative study (exploratory, deductive approach)

Setting: Social media platform: Private Facebook group

Population of Focus: Women who were members of a private Facebook group

Sample Size: 8 women

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Materials, Other Education, Technology-Based Support, COMMUNITY, Social Media, Social Supports,

Intervention Description: The support offered to mothers after hospital discharge can be decisive in maintaining exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months post-partum. The objective of this study was to assess the impact on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding of a participatory intervention using an online social network--Facebook. A randomized clinical trial was performed involving 251 mother–child pairings in a university hospital in the Northeast of Brazil, 123 of which assigned to the intervention group and 128 to the control group. After hospital discharge, the intervention group was followed through a closed group of an online social network, where weekly posters were published on topics related to breastfeeding and an active communication was established with the mothers. The groups were interviewed monthly over the phone until the child reached 6 months of age.

Intervention Results: The exclusive breastfeeding frequencies were higher in the intervention group in all follow-up months, reaching 33.3% in the sixth month versus 8.3% in the control group. The median exclusive breastfeeding duration was 149 days (95% CI [129.6, 168.4]) in the intervention group and 86 days (95% CI [64.9, 107.1]) in the control group (P < 0.0001). The proportional risk of early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding was 0.38 (95% CI [0.28, 0.51], P < 0.0001).

Conclusion: This intervention had a positive impact on the duration and frequency of exclusive breastfeeding.

Study Design: Single-blind, RCT

Setting: Social media platform: Facebook

Population of Focus: Mother-child pairings assisted in the maternity ward of a Baby-Friendly Hospital who used Facebook

Sample Size: 251 mother-child pairings

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Materials, Other Education, Technology-Based Support, COMMUNITY, Social Media, Social Supports,

Intervention Description: Alongside increasing social media use worldwide, there is an expanding research focus on how social media use affects health behaviours, decisions and perceptions. The objective of this study was to systematically determine if and how breastfeeding is promoted and supported on the popular social media platform Instagram, which currently has over 700 million active users worldwide. To assess how Instagram is used to depict and portray breastfeeding, and how users share perspectives and information about this topic, we analysed 4,089 images and 8,331 corresponding comments posted with popular breastfeeding-related hashtags (#breastfeeding, #breastmilk, #breastisbest, and #normalizebreastfeeding).

Intervention Results: We found that Instagram is being mobilized by users to publicly display and share diverse breastfeeding-related content and to create supportive networks that allow new mothers to share experiences, build confidence, and address challenges related to breastfeeding. Discussions were overwhelmingly positive and often highly personal, with virtually no antagonistic content. Very little educational content was found, contrasted by frequent depiction and discussion of commercial products.

Conclusion: Instagram is currently used by breastfeeding mothers to create supportive networks and could potentially offer new avenues and opportunities to "normalize," protect, promote, and support breastfeeding more broadly across its large and diverse global online community.

Study Design: Qualitative study

Setting: Social media platform: Instgram

Population of Focus: Active Instagram users who shared perspectives and information about breastfeeding with popular breastfeeding-related hashtags

Sample Size: 4,089 images and 8,331 corresponding comments

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Materials, Other Education, Technology-Based Support, COMMUNITY, Social Media, Social Supports,

Intervention Description: The importance of support to breastfeeding success is well established, as are the difficulties many mothers face in accessing the support they need. With the majority of UK mothers now accessing social media for support, Breastfeeding Support Facebook (BSF) groups have increased exponentially. BSF groups vary in type (local or national/international) and in moderation—overseen by breastfeeding mothers and by midwives or trained lactation specialists. Some groups aimed at supporting mothers in a specific geographical area also have associated face-to-face groups, facilitated as either professional or peer support. Little is currently known about these specific local groups, their prevalence, impact or value to mothers. This paper examines mothers' experiences of using local BSF groups and why they value them as part of a larger study exploring the impact of midwife moderation on these groups. An online survey consisting of open and closed questions was completed by 2028 mothers.

Intervention Results: Findings identified that local BSF groups are widely used and highly valued for their connection with local face-to-face services and other mothers. They offer access to expertise and shared experience in a format mothers find convenient and timely, improving confidence and self-efficacy. Local BSF groups enable the formation of support networks and development of breastfeeding knowledge that mothers credit with increased well-being, motivation and breastfeeding duration. As such, they have the potential to add value to local face-to-face services and improve breastfeeding experiences and knowledge in communities.

Conclusion: The findings have important implications to support the development of integrated online interventions to improve public health.

Study Design: Qualitative study

Setting: Social media platform: Breastfeeding Support Facebook groups

Population of Focus: Mothers in the UK using local Breastfeeding Support Facebook groups

Sample Size: 2028 mothers

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Materials, Other Education, Technology-Based Support, COMMUNITY, Social Media, Social Supports,

Intervention Description: To date, most breastfeeding research on social media only focuses on content analysis, and there remains limited knowledge about the social networks of online communities (who interacts with whom), influencers in the breastfeeding space and the diffusion of evidence-based knowledge. This study, grounded in social network theory, aims to better understand the breastfeeding communication landscape on Twitter including determining the presence of a breastfeeding network, communities and key influencers. Further, we characterize influencer interactions, roles and the content being shared.

Intervention Results: The study revealed an overall breastfeeding social network of 3,798 unique individuals (users) and 3,972 tweets with commonly used hashtags (e.g., #breastfeeding and #normalizebreastfeeding). Around one third of users (n = 1,324, 34%) exchanged pornographic content (PC) that sexualized breastfeeding. The non-PC network (n = 2,474 users) formed 144 unique communities, and content flowing within the network was disproportionately influenced by 59 key influencers. However, these influencers had mostly inward-oriented interaction (% composition, E-I index: 47% professionals, -0.18; 41% interested citizens, -0.67; 12% companies, -0.18), limiting opportunities for evidence-based dissemination to the lay public.

Conclusion: Although more tweets about peer-reviewed research findings were sent compared with tweets about nonevidence-based lay recommendations, our findings suggest that it is the lay public who often communicated findings, which may be overcome through a targeted social network-based intervention.

Study Design: Outcome evaluation

Setting: Social media platform: Twitter

Population of Focus: Influencers in the breastfeeding space on Twitter

Sample Size: 3,798 unique individuals (users), 3,962 tweets

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Materials, Other Education, Technology-Based Support, COMMUNITY, Social Media, Social Supports,

Intervention Description: As recently highlighted by the National Academy of Sciences, there is a need for the scientific community (SC) to diffuse its findings to the public more effectively online, as means to counteract the spread of misinformation. In response to this call, we gathered data from Twitter for one month from major breastfeeding hashtags resulting in an interconnected social network (n = 3,798 users). We then identified 59 influencers who disproportionately influenced information flow using social network analysis. These influencers were from the SC (e.g. academics, researchers, health care practitioners), as well as interested citizens (IC) and companies. We then conducted an ego-network analysis of influencer networks, developed ego maps, and compared diffusion metrics across the SC, IC and company influencers. We also qualitatively analyzed their tweets (n = 711) to understand the type of information being diffused.

Intervention Results: Content analysis of tweets suggest IC are more active than the SC in diffusing evidence-based breastfeeding knowledge, with 35% of their tweets around recent research findings compared to only 12% by the SC. Nonetheless, in terms of outreach to the general public, the two-step networks of SC influences were more heterogenous than ICs (55.7 ± 5.07, 50.9 ± 12.0, respectively, P<0.001).

Conclusion: Collectively, these findings suggest SC influencers may possess latent potential to diffuse research and evidence- based practices. However, the research suggests specific ways to enhance diffusion.

Study Design: Outcome evaluation

Setting: Social media platform: Twitter

Population of Focus: Influencers from the scientific community using major breastfeeding hashtags on Twitter for a month

Sample Size: 59 influencers, 711 tweets

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Materials, Other Education, Technology-Based Support, COMMUNITY, Social Media, Social Supports,

Intervention Description: Social media crosses socioeconomic and geographic lines and can inform and empower people, increase communication speed, and mobilize partnerships. Through the dissemination of standardized messages and graphics, social media can be optimized for the delivery of evidence-based nutrition information. In 2014, the USDA launched a mobile-responsive Web site to assist WIC staff in engaging participants and community partners. Resources included posters, brochures, videos, widgets, graphics, and BF peer counseling training. Recognizing the opportunity for spreading messages via social media, the Web site was enhanced with the addition of a social media toolkit for World Breastfeeding Week/National Breastfeeding Month (August, 2016). The goal of the project was to create sample graphics and messages based on the campaign that could be used by WIC agencies and partners to reach participants, eligible participants, and the public. Messages were developed using content from the Loving Support campaign materials and Loving Support Peer Counseling Training. Agencies were encouraged to link to the Loving Support Web site and use the hashtag #WICLovingSupport in their posts. Agencies could also customize the messages and graphics as needed to promote their own activities and events. The toolkit included Facebook covers and posts, Twitter headers and posts, a Twibbon, an Instagram post, and an e-card. A guide to using the toolkit with sample messages was created as well. The Figure shows sample images and messages.

Intervention Results: The toolkit was launched on July 12, 2016 and received 4,319 page views by the end of August. Overall there were 9,432 downloads of all Loving Support materials and 29,745 page views to the Loving Support Web site. This was a 50% increase in page views and a 17% increase in downloads over the previous month, before the launch of the toolkit. Use of the toolkit continued since August with 1,507 page views between August, 2016 and February, 2017. The number of users for that same period was 5,007 (new and returning users). There were 2,342 downloads of social media graphics, with Facebook covers and posts, the e-card, and Instagram posts as the most downloaded items. The Twibbon campaign had 36 supporters. A TweetReach snapshot report from August 2 to August 6 (during World Breastfeeding Week) showed that the hashtag #WICLovingSupport had 60 tweets from 40 contributors, 287,820 accounts reached (the number of people who likely saw content), and 362,607 impressions (the number of times people likely reached).

Conclusion: Translating policy and guidance into action-oriented messages that WIC agencies can easily use and disseminate can increase the exposure of evidence-based nutrition messages. Although it is a relatively low-cost communication strategy, social media involves a high cost in time and attention needed to maintain an active presence.8 By providing a ready-to-go social media toolkit, the Food and Nutrition Service was able to offer consistent messaging, but it also reduced WIC staff workload and reached many people with information about BF promotion and support.

Study Design: Program evaluation

Setting: Social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Population of Focus: WIC staff

Sample Size: 5,007 new and returning users

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): PATIENT_CONSUMER, Educational Materials, Other Education, Technology-Based Support, COMMUNITY, Social Media, Social Supports,

Intervention Description: Many women do not have adequate and consistent social support to help them deal with breastfeeding difficulties at home after childbirth. Millennial women (those born between 1980 and 1999) have a significant presence online, making internet-based sources of breastfeeding support a potentially far-reaching, cost-effective, and convenient innovation. Social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, GooglePlus+, Tumblr, and Instagram) are internet-based applications that enable the creation and exchange of user-generated content that may provide an avenue of social support. Social media breastfeeding support groups (SMBSGs) provide a cost-efficient, immediate approach to gaining social support and education from vast populations with various sociodemographics. Using 17 SMBSGs, the study team explored the variables that lead to sustained, exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months for breastfeeding millennial women who follow SMBSGs.

Intervention Results: Using structural equation modeling, I examined relationships among personal factors; competing situational demands; social support; and confidence in, knowledge of, attitude toward, and sustainability of breastfeeding. Age, education, and competing work and family demands were all predictive of social support. Breastfeeding social support had a direct effect on participants’ breastfeeding confidence, knowledge, and attitudes (F = 4.96, R2 = .07, p < .002). Furthermore, within SMBSGs, exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months was reported to be three times (66%) greater than the U.S. national average (22%).

Conclusion: Interventions aimed at providing women with resources to gain breastfeeding social support, such as SMBSGs, may be vehicles to improve women’s confidence, knowledge, and attitudes and, therefore, increase the potential for exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months.

Study Design: Repeated measures, longitudinal, mixed-methods

Setting: Online social media support groups across 21 countries

Population of Focus: Convenience sample of exclusively breastfeeding millenial women who followed at least one of 17 social media breastfeeding support groups

Sample Size: 241 women

Age Range: Women 18 years and older