Pragmatic Effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling Program to Increase Breastfeeding Duration Among Nevada WIC Participants

Abstract

Peer counseling programs are increasingly popular, and intervention trials have established efficacy. However, pragmatic, real-world effectiveness of peer counseling programs are limited, but necessary, to justify funding. This study examined the effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling (LSPC) program to increase breastfeeding duration and reasons for cessation among Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants. In a sample of 178 WIC participants, new mothers who received LSPC breastfed for an average of 8.6 weeks longer relative to mothers who did not receive LSPC (p < .001). Although all mothers cited concerns about infants'’ nutritional uptake, WIC mothers who did not receive LSPC reported frustration as the reason for breastfeeding cessation. This study supports the pragmatic, real-world effectiveness of LSPC among WIC mothers.