Barriers and Facilitators for Breastfeeding Among Low-Wage Employees in the Washington, DC, Area

Background: The workplace experience of low-wage breastfeeding employees is not well studied. Research Aims/Questions: To identify low-wage employees’ workplace barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding at 4 and 6 months. Methods: Data were collected from 111 low-income participants in a Washington, DC, pediatric clinic. Eligible participants had a child less than 3 years old, were employed when their child was less than 1 year old, and had either breastfed while employed or never breastfed because they planned to return to work. Results: 81.0% of participants breastfed at least 4 months, and 69.8% breastfed for 6 months or greater. Participants who worked in the childcare sector had the highest breastfeeding rates at 4 (92.3%) and 6 months (80.0%) compared to other job sectors. Employees with greater levels of support in the workplace were more likely to breastfeed at 4 ( p = .01) and 6 months ( p = .02). Employees who were provided break times to pump had higher odds (odds ratio [OR] = 8.80, 95% CI: 1.90/40.68) of breastfeeding at 4 months. Additionally, having supportive coworkers and managers was associated with higher odds of breastfeeding at 4 months (OR = 7.55; 95% CI:1.58/36.07). Factors associated with having a manager supportive of employees’ breastfeeding included working in childcare ( p = .009), having a higher education ( p = .046), and having a written workplace breastfeeding policy ( p = .04). Conclusions: Greater enforcement of breastfeeding policies, improved workplace accommodations, and enhanced support from managers and coworkers may improve breastfeeding rates in low-wage employees.