Abstract
Background: Mother-to-mother breastfeeding support organizations provide important information and guidance for helping mothers initiate and maintain breastfeeding, postpartum. However, the availability of this support is limited by a constellation of barriers, including race, culture, socioeconomic status, and geography. Research aims: To identify the geodemographic composition of communities where breastfeeding support was available from the mother-to-mother support organizations Breastfeeding USA and La Leche League, identify underlying issues of equity, and highlight locations where more support resources may be needed. Methods: The locations of mother-to-mother support meetings were collected by ZIP code (N = 180) and were combined with a geodemographic database and exploratory spatial data analysis to explore the compositional characteristics of communities served (N = 1,173). Results: Significant gaps in the geographic distribution of breastfeeding support existed. While many metropolitan areas benefited from numerous mother-to-mother support groups and peer counselors, the geographic footprint of this support favored communities that were white, affluent, and suburban. Conclusion: Spatial analytics combined with geodemographic analysis provide a unique perspective into the diverse landscape of mother-to-mother breastfeeding support groups at a local level. Our results highlighted inequities in the distribution of support provided and prescriptive guidance regarding where more resources may be needed.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 301-313 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Journal of Human Lactation |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- access to care
- breastfeeding
- breastfeeding support
- social support
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynecology