Abstract
Abstract
Background
The challenge of combining professional work and breastfeeding is a key reason why women choose not to breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding early. We posited that having access to a high-quality lactation room at the workplace could influence working mothers’ satisfaction and perceptions related to expressing breast milk at work, which could have important longer term consequences for the duration of breastfeeding. Specifically, we aimed to (1) develop a checklist for assessing the quality of lactation rooms and (2) explore how lactation room quality affects lactating mothers’ satisfaction and perceptions. Drawing on social ecological insights, we hypothesized that the quality of lactation rooms (operationalized as any space used for expressing milk at work) would be positively related to mothers’ satisfaction with the room, perceived ease of, and perceived support for milk expression at work.
Methods
We conducted two studies. In Study 1 we developed a lactation room quality checklist (LRQC) and assessed its reliability twice, using samples of 33 lactation rooms (Study 1a) and 31 lactation rooms (Study 1b). Data were collected in the Northern part of the Netherlands (between December 2016 and April 2017). Study 2 comprised a cross-sectional survey of 511 lactating mothers, working in a variety of Dutch organizations. The mothers were recruited through the Facebook page of a popular Dutch breastfeeding website. They completed online questionnaires containing the LRQC and measures aimed at assessing their satisfaction and perceptions related to milk expression at work (in June and July 2017).
Results
The LRQC was deemed reliable and easy to apply in practice. As predicted, we found that objectively assessed higher-quality lactation rooms were associated with increased levels of satisfaction with the lactation rooms, perceived ease of milk expression at work, and perceived support from supervisors and co-workers for expressing milk in the workplace.
Conclusions
The availability of a high-quality lactation room could influence mothers’ decisions regarding breast milk expression at work and the commencement and/or continuation of breastfeeding. Future studies should explore whether and how lactation room quality affects breastfeeding choices, and which aspects are most important to include in lactation rooms.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Obstetrics and Gynaecology,Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
Reference52 articles.
1. Rollins NC, Bhandari N, Hajeebhoy N, Horton S, Lutter CK, Martines JC, et al. Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices? Lancet. 2016;387(10017):491–504. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01044-2.
2. Addati L, Cassirer N, Gilchrist K. Maternity and paternity at work: law and practice across the world. Geneva: International Labour Office; 2014. https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_242615/lang--en/index.htm. Accessed 13 Apr 2021
3. van Dommelen P, Engelse O. Peiling melkvoeding van zuigelingen in 2018 [Poll milk nutrition of infants in 2018]. Tijdschrift voor de Jeugdgezondheidszorg. 2021;53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12452-021-00251-w.
4. Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek [Statistics Netherlands]: Arbeidsdeelname op recordhoogte [Labor force participation at record high] (2020). https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2020/03/arbeidsdeelname-op-recordhoogte. Accessed 11 Jan 2021.
5. Commissie Gelijke Behandeling [Equal Treatment Commission]. Hoe is het bevallen? onderzoek naar discriminatie van zwangere vrouwen en moeders met jonge kinderen op het werk [How did it work out? research into discrimination against pregnant women and mothers with young children at work]. Utrecht: Commissie Gelijke Behandeling; 2012.
Cited by
7 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献