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. 2020 Sep 2;17(17):6402.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176402.

Female Employees' Perception of Breastfeeding Support in the Workplace, Public Universities in Spain: A Multicentric Comparative Study

Águeda Cervera-Gasch  1 , Desirée Mena-Tudela  1 , Fatima Leon-Larios  2 , Neus Felip-Galvan  1 , Soukaina Rochdi-Lahniche  1 , Laura Andreu-Pejó  1 , Víctor Manuel González-Chordá  1
Affiliations

Female Employees' Perception of Breastfeeding Support in the Workplace, Public Universities in Spain: A Multicentric Comparative Study

Águeda Cervera-Gasch et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Despite scientific recommendations for exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age and complementary breastfeeding to 2 years of age, breastfeeding abandonment rates increase with time, and one of the main reasons is that women go back to work.

Aim: To analyze the perception of support of breastfeeding workers to continue breastfeeding at two Spanish universities, and associated factors.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective cross-sectional comparative study conducted in a population of 777 female workers at the Universidad de Sevilla (US) and the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) in Spain using an online questionnaire.

Results: The response rate was 38.74% (n = 301). Of all the participants, 57.8% continued breastfeeding after returning to work. The factors associated with continuing breastfeeding for longer were the university having a breastfeeding support policy and special accommodation (p < 0.001); participating in breastfeeding support groups (p < 0.001); intending to continue breastfeeding after returning to work (p < 0.001); knowing the occupational legislation in force (p = 0.009); having a female supervisor (p = 0.04).

Conclusion: Breastfeeding support initiatives and having special accommodation to pump and preserve breast milk after returning to work are associated with a longer duration of female workers' breastfeeding.

Keywords: breastfeeding; breastfeeding barrier; breastfeeding support; female employment; lactation; workplace.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

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