Childhood Obesity and Breastfeeding Rates in Pennsylvania Counties—Spatial Analysis of the Lactation Support Landscape

Abstract

Childhood obesity is a global public health issue. As the prevalence of childhood obesity continues to rise, identification of potential interventions by public health policy makers, and health care providers is imperative. Breastfeeding, the most optimal method of infant feeding, has been demonstrated to protect against childhood obesity. Lactation support providers (LSPs) play a key role in providing education, care, and support to families considering a feeding choice. Access to professional lactation care increases breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity, and duration rates, regardless of the credential that the LSP holds. The aims of the current study were to examine the relationship between childhood obesity and breastfeeding rates in Pennsylvania (PA) counties; to examine the relationship between geographic access to professional LSPs in PA counties and breastfeeding rates; and to examine the relationship between geographic access to professional LSPs and childhood obesity in PA counties. Data were collected on 617 professional LSPs in 67 PA counties. There are 608 Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs) and 144 International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) in PA. County-level breastfeeding rates, childhood obesity rates, and the number of CLCs and IBCLCs were tested for significance at the p < 0.01 level using a two-tailed significance test and bivariate Pearson's correlation. The results show a significant, inverse relationship between breastfeeding rates and childhood obesity prevalence at the county level, p < 0.01. There is also a significant, inverse relationship between the number of CLCs and the number of all professional LSPs and childhood obesity rates at the county level, p < 0.01. Thus, the availability of breastfeeding support is significantly related to breastfeeding rates and inversely related to childhood obesity rates across Pennsylvania.

Breastfeeding and factors associated with the prevention of childhood obesity: An integrative literature review

“…Além disso, Blair et al [17], relacionaram a importância das políticas públicas no que diz respeito ao apoio e estímulo ao aleitamento materno, tendo em vista que as condições estruturais de hospitais centrados na atenção aos bebês, os ínfimos serviços de apoio mediados por profissionais da saúde atrelado ao aspecto socioeconômico das famílias pode impactar nos fatores de prevenção e proteção da obesidade infantil, uma vez que tais causas enfraquecem a prática do aleitamento materno.…”

Inequities in Availability of Evidence-Based Birth Supports to Improve Perinatal Health for Socially Vulnerable Rural Residents

“…In order to improve these outcomes, it is essential to first understand the landscape of available perinatal health services in rural areas. While prior research has noted that access to midwifery services [ 58 , 59 ] and lactation support [ 60 , 61 , 62 ] in rural US communities is limited, very little is known about the local availability of other evidence-based supports for maternal and infant health for rural families, especially contextualized by community social vulnerability. The purpose of this analysis is to describe the availability of these evidence-based supports (local access to care, family-centered models of care, peer and community supports for families, and health-focused programming) in rural communities that have hospital-based inpatient labor and birth services, with a focus on social vulnerability at the intersection of race/ethnicity and geography.…”