Relationship Between Sex-Specific Labor Market Performance and Breastfeeding Prevalence

Abstract

Background: Prior research has explored the association between women’s employment status and breastfeeding at the individual level, however; a notable gap in scholarly inquiry exists regarding the relationship between labor market performance and breastfeeding at the population level. Research Aim: The aim of this paper is to investigate the association between labor market performance and breastfeeding prevalence in the United States. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional analysis of the association between labor market performance and the prevalence of breastfeeding. Our analysis is conducted at the state level using data published up to late 2021 from the Current Population Survey and the National Immunization Survey. The first dataset was used to construct aggregate and sex-specific state level indicators of labor market performance for both males and females. The second dataset supplied the proportion of mothers breastfeeding for the corresponding birth cohort from each state. Results: Higher average weekly hours worked by females in the year before giving birth was associated with a lower prevalence of breastfeeding, but employment rates among females did not significantly affect breastfeeding prevalence. Among males, current employment rates were positively associated with breastfeeding prevalence; however, no significant relationship was observed between breastfeeding prevalence and average weekly work hours worked. Conclusion: Sex-specific labor market performance may play a role in breastfeeding decisions and the timing of labor market performance relative to childbirth is important. Furthermore, these results highlight that employment rates and hours worked might be associated with child health through breastfeeding prevalence.

Science and Faith to Understand Milk Bioactivity for Infants

“…Human sciences conduct descriptive, theoretical studies on motherhood and breastfeeding, including ethics [ 185 ] and its perceived ‘naturalness’ [ 186 ], but the descriptions do not by themselves provide meaning, value, and hope to individuals, groups, or society. Social sciences combine collected data and human reflections on breastfeeding to study topics such as gender issues, the labor market, and health economy in relation to breastfeeding [ 187 , 188 , 189 ]. This tension between the theory of breastfeeding from all the sciences and the practice of breastfeeding (partly based on faith convictions) together form the beliefs and understanding that lead to guidelines.…”