Public Health Nutr. 2026 Jul 7:1-72. doi: 10.1017/S1368980026102985. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of one-to-one peer support on mothers’ personal breastfeeding goals.
DESIGN: Scoping review guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Qualitative data were analysed using descriptive content analysis. Quantitative data were analysed by identifying numerical trends and recurring patterns, and a concise overview of key descriptive findings was provided using frequency counts and proportions.
SETTING: Studies conducted across 10 countries globally, identified through systematic searches of seven electronic databases and screening of reference lists.
PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-eight studies were included: 20 quantitative, 7 qualitative, 6 mixed-methods, and three secondary analyses (drawing on two relevant primary sources). Participants were mothers who received one-to-one breastfeeding peer support, predominantly in community or home-based settings.
RESULTS: One primary outcome was assessed: The impact of one-to-one peer support on mothers’ personal breastfeeding goals. Two secondary outcomes were identified. The first examined the effect of one-to-one peer support on breastfeeding outcomes based on traditional measures of breastfeeding success. Of the included studies, 50% reported positive effects of one-to-one peer support on traditional measures of breastfeeding success, while 21% found no statistically significant differences. An additional secondary outcome reported in 34% of the included studies examined the impact of mother-centred breastfeeding peer support on maternal emotional well-being.
CONCLUSIONS: One-to-one peer support enhances the mothers’ ability to achieve their personal breastfeeding goals and positively influences emotional well-being. These findings underscore the need to integrate structured one-to-one peer support into maternal health services in Ireland and globally.
PMID:42411308 | DOI:10.1017/S1368980026102985
