AN ASPHN BRIEF
COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING:
CHILDREN BORN TO EAST AFRICAN IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
For the first time, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services included dietary recommendations for infants and toddlers in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, or DGA. ASPHN is providing these complementary feeding briefs to assist nutrition professionals in supporting families’ cultural preferences. Learn more below.
last update: 2023-01-26
INTRODUCTION
Between 2000 and 2019, the Black African immigrant population in the U.S. grew 246%, from about 600,000 to 2.0 million. Between 2010 and 2018, the sub-Saharan African* immigrant population in the U.S. increased by 52%, compared to the 12% growth rate for the overall foreign-born population during that same period. Of the total number of Sub-Saharan African immigrants, 26.2% are from three eastern African countries — Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. 3
*Sub-Saharan Africa is defined as all African countries except Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia. 3
INTRODUCTION
Between 2000 and 2019, the Black African immigrant population in the U.S. grew 246%, from about 600,000 to 2.0 million. Between 2010 and 2018, the sub-Saharan African* immigrant population in the U.S. increased by 52%, compared to the 12% growth rate for the overall foreign-born population during that same period. Of the total number of Sub-Saharan African immigrants, 26.2% are from three eastern African countries — Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. 3
*Sub-Saharan Africa is defined as all African countries except Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia. 3
RESEARCH SUMMARY
- East African immigration educational levels are very similar to the non-immigrant U.S. population, with a higher likelihood to have received a bachelor’s degree (40%) than U.S. born (33%).
- 74% of immigrants in the U.S. from sub-Saharan Africa are English proficient, as English is an official language in most sub-Saharan African countries.
- 42% of Somali immigrants to the U.S. lived in poverty in 2017.
BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES OBSERVED IN EAST AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS TO THE U.S.
MIGRATION from a lower income country into a higher income country may have negative impacts on breastfeeding, including breastfeeding duration.
CAREGIVER KNOWLEDGE and beliefs about breastfeeding and timely introduction of complementary foods have been primary factors facilitating good infant and young child feeding practices.
AFRICAN IMMIGRANT MOTHERS maintained infant feeding practices from their countries of origin but also adopted some of the practices of the host country.
COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING PERSPECTIVES OF EAST AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS TO THE U.S.
MAY INCLUDE COMMON BELIEF of caregivers that infants should be given liquids, such as thin porridge or gruel, as first foods instead of semi-solid foods. 2
IN CAREGIVERS’ HOME COUNTRY, community-based nutrition education at the group level was found to support good complementary feeding practices. 2
THE AGE AT WHICH AFRICAN MOTHERS introduced solids to their infants ranged from three to six months or more, when mothers had moved to higher income countries.
COMPLEMENTARY FOODS VARIED WIDELY, but consisted mainly of commercial baby food, baby cereal/rice/pasta, fruits and homemade porridge or other cereals. 4
SOURCES
- Key findings about black immigrants in the U.S. Tamir C. Pew Research Center (2022). Accessed 09-20-2022.
- Factors influencing complementary feeding practices in rural and semi-urban Rwanda: a qualitative study. Umugwaneza M, Havemann-Nel Li, Vorster HH, Wentzel-Viljoen E. Journal of Nutritional Science (2021), vol. 10, e45. doi:101017/jns.2021.37.
- Sub-Saharan African immigrants in the United States. Echevarria-Estrada C and Batalova J. (2019). Accessed 09-20-2022.
- Breastfeeding beliefs and experiences of African immigrant mothers in high-income counties: A systematic review. Odeniyi AO, Embleton N, Ngongalah L, Akor W, and Rankin J. Maternal Child Nutrition volume 16, issue 3. June 2020; 16:e12970. Accessed 09-20-2022.