A Spatial Analysis of Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding Support in the United States: The Leaders and Laggards Landscape

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 790-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony H. Grubesic ◽  
Kelly M. Durbin

Background: To better track progress in achieving the Healthy People 2020 goals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes an annual Breastfeeding Report Card (BRC) that represents a compilation of data on breastfeeding practices in all states. With data drawn from the CDC National Immunization Survey, the BRC provides an especially valuable source of information about geographic trends in breastfeeding and related support activities. Research aim: This study aimed to identify important geographic trends in both breastfeeding practices and support structures in the United States, highlighting their spatial disparities. Methods: Exploratory spatial data analysis, including local indicators of spatial association, is combined with spatial regression models to highlight geographic variations in breastfeeding practices and support. Results: Geographic variation in both breastfeeding practices and allied support exists within the United States. Geographic hot spots of breastfeeding are found in the western and northeastern sections of the United States, and cool spots are located primarily in the Southeast. Regression results suggested that unemployment and demographic diversity are negatively associated with breastfeeding rates, whereas higher education and the presence of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® (IBCLCs®) are positively connected to persistent breastfeeding practices. Further, although the availability of professional support (IBCLC) strengthened nationwide between 2011 and 2016, the availability of mother-to-mother support (La Leche League) softened. Conclusion: Although breastfeeding initiation rates continue to increase in the United States, rates of exclusive breastfeeding at 3 and 6 months remain low, displaying significant geographic variation. The ability to pinpoint lagging regions can help to efficiently allocate additional breastfeeding support resources and interventions.

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Courtois ◽  
Sandrine Péneau ◽  
Benoît Salanave ◽  
Valentina A. Andreeva ◽  
Marie Françoise Roland-Cachera ◽  
...  

Abstract Background France has one of the lowest rates in the world regarding breastfeeding initiation and duration. Few studies have explored breastfeeding practices in France since the middle of the twentieth century, or following from initiation to cessation. The purpose of our study was to determine trends in breastfeeding over the past decades regarding public health recommendations, and to examine mothers’ perceptions about factors known to have an impact on breastfeeding support and cessation. Methods From the NutriNet-Santé cohort, 29,953 parous women (launched in 2009 to study relation between nutrition and health), were included in the present study. Using web-questionnaires, they were asked retrospectively if they had breastfed their youngest child or not, and if so, the duration of exclusive and total breastfeeding. For those who had breastfed, we investigated their perceptions about support at initiation and during the entire breastfeeding period and reasons for breastfeeding cessation. We also asked those who did not breastfeed about their perceptions and reasons for infant formula feeding their youngest child. Analyses were weighted according to the French census data. Results In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, 67.3% of mothers breastfed their youngest child. The proportion of breastfed children increased over the past few decades, from 55.0% (95% CI 54.3, 55.6) in the 1970s to 82.9% (82.4, 83.4) in the 2010s. Total and exclusive breastfeeding duration went from 3.3 months and 2.4 months respectively in the 1970s to 5.9 months and 3.2 months respectively in the 2010s. Most mothers felt supported at initiation and during the breastfeeding period. A reported desire to have breastfed longer than two months was 59.5%. Mothers who did not breastfeed did it by choice (64.3%). They did not feel guilty (78.2%) and did not perceive a problem not to breastfeed (58.8%), but almost half of them would have liked to have breastfed (45.9%). Conclusion Breastfeeding duration has increased in the past decades but did not reach the public health recommendations threshold. Targets other than mothers have to be considered for breastfeeding education, like the partner and her environment, to increase breastfeeding practices. Trial registration The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03335644).


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 100812
Author(s):  
Ali Raza Ghani ◽  
Mohsin Sheraz Mughal ◽  
Sundeep Kumar ◽  
Sara Aslam ◽  
Mahboob Alam ◽  
...  

1993 ◽  
Vol 328 (9) ◽  
pp. 621-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Pete Welch ◽  
Mark E. Miller ◽  
H. Gilbert Welch ◽  
Elliott S. Fisher ◽  
John E. Wennberg

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiping Xiao ◽  
Yan Song ◽  
Xiaodong Wu

China’s rapid urbanization has attracted wide international attention. However, it may not be sustainable. In order to assess it objectively and put forward recommendations for future development, this paper first develops a four-dimensional Urbanization Quality Index using weights calculated by the Deviation Maximization Method for a comprehensive assessment and then reveals the spatial association of China’s urbanization by Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis. The study leads to three major findings. First, the urbanization quality in China has gradually increased over time, but there have been significant differences between regions. Second, the four aspects of urbanization quality have shown the following trends: (i) the quality of urban development has steadily increased; (ii) the sustainability of urban development has shown a downward trend in recent years; (iii) the efficiency of urbanization improved before 2006 but then declined slightly due to capital, land use, and resource efficiency constraints; (IV) the urban–rural integration deteriorated in the early years but then improved over time. Third, although the urbanization quality has a significantly positive global spatial autocorrelation, the local spatial autocorrelation varies between eastern and western regions. Based on these findings, this paper concludes with policy recommendations for improving urbanization quality and its sustainability in China.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica H. Anstey ◽  
Martha Coulter ◽  
Cecilia M. Jevitt ◽  
Kay M. Perrin ◽  
Sharon Dabrow ◽  
...  

Background: Addressing suboptimal breastfeeding initiation and duration rates is a priority in the United States. To address challenges to improving these rates, the voices of the providers who work with breastfeeding mothers should be heard. Research aim: The purpose of this study was to explore lactation consultants’ perceived barriers to managing early breastfeeding problems. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with a grounded theory methodological approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 International Board Certified Lactation Consultants across Florida. Lactation consultants were from a range of practice settings, including hospitals, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children clinics, private practice, and pediatric offices. Data were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed in Atlas.ti. Results: A range of barriers was identified and grouped into the following categories/themes: indirect barriers (social norms, knowledge, attitudes); direct occupational barriers (institutional constraints, lack of coordination, poor service delivery); and direct individual barriers (social support, mother’s self-efficacy). A model was developed illustrating the factors that influence the role enactment of lactation consultants in managing breastfeeding problems. Conclusion: Inadequate support for addressing early breastfeeding challenges is compounded by a lack of collaboration among various healthcare providers and the family. Findings provide insight into the professional management issues of early breastfeeding problems faced by lactation consultants. Team-based, interprofessional approaches to breastfeeding support for mothers and their families are needed; improving interdisciplinary collaboration could lead to better integration of lactation consultants who are educated and experienced in providing lactation support and management of breastfeeding problems.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
SeaPlan

As more ocean plans are developed and adopted around the world, the importance of accessible, up-to-date spatial data in the planning process has become increasingly apparent. Many ocean planning efforts in the United States and Canada rely on a companion data portal–a curated catalog of spatial datasets characterizing the ocean uses and natural resources considered as part of ocean planning and management decision-making.Data portals designed to meet ocean planning needs tend to share three basic characteris- tics. They are: ocean-focused, map-based, and publicly-accessible. This enables planners, managers, and stakeholders to access common sets of sector-speci c, place-based information that help to visualize spatial relationships (e.g., overlap) among various uses and the marine environment and analyze potential interactions (e.g., synergies or con icts) among those uses and natural resources. This data accessibility also enhances the transparency of the planning process, arguably an essential factor for its overall success.This paper explores key challenges, considerations, and best practices for developing and maintaining a data portal. By observing the relationship between data portals and key principles of ocean planning, we posit three overarching themes for data portal best practices: accommodation of diverse users, data vetting and review by stakeholders, and integration with the planning process. The discussion draws primarily from the use of the Northeast Ocean Data Portal to support development of the Northeast Ocean Management Plan, with additional examples from other portals in the U.S. and Canada.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Ringo ◽  
Sheila M. Gephart

Abstract Background: As compared to the United States general postpartum population, civilian military wives encounter unique challenges that can impede their ability to breastfeed, including geographic replacement and physical and emotional challenges. Yet despite these challenges, civilian military wives demonstrate higher rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration in the United States postpartum population as a whole. The purpose of this study was to explore factors contributing to the high rate of breastfeeding initiation and duration among civilian military wives and to determine what might be learned from these factors for intervention design for the broader population of postpartum mothers. Methods: The sample consisted of 28 civilian military wives whose ages ranged from 18-45. The study was conducted online using a concurrent mixed-methods design. Results: Seven main themes with 16 subthemes emerged from the descriptions of the semi-structured interviews. The results of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form score was 55.2 (SD = 5.73). The results of the integrative analysis revealed that factors within the military environment influence a sense of community, thus supporting their breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE). Additionally, supportive and pro-breastfeeding healthcare facilitators (especially lactation consultants) throughout the prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods described by civilian military wives were associated with high levels of breastfeeding self-efficacy among civilian military wives. Moreover, high levels of breastfeeding self-efficacy related to breastfeeding skills and duration were associated with the accessibility of resources within the military environment, breastfeeding health and economic benefits, and setting of a breastfeeding goal. Conclusions: Using a concurrent mixed-methods design, this study identified facilitators from the descriptions of civilian military wives that they believed promote their higher rates of breastfeeding initiation and continuation, quantified their high level of breastfeeding self-efficacy, and identified descriptive factors that contributed to both areas lacking in the literature among this population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 927
Author(s):  
André Luis Santiago MAIA ◽  
Gecynalda Soares da Silva GOMES ◽  
Isabelle Galdino de ALMEIDA

The intensive process of economic growth and job creation in Brazil in the last years is often associated an important dimension where this process is far drop satisfactory: the high incidence rates of occupational accidents. Important instruments can be constructed from the quantitative study considering possible changes caused by economic dynamics over the years. We conducted exploratory spatial data analysis  (ESDA) and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) to analyze the spatial distribution of this rate in order to identify critical regions in Brazil. Data were extracted from the Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) and from the Brazilian Ministry of Social Security websites for the years from 2002 to 2012. Results show that the incidence rate of occupational accidents in Brazil is distributed in a geographically non-random manner and municipalities with high rates tends to cluster.


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