Research & Practice
An Analysis of the Adoption and Implementation of Breastfeeding Policies in Washington State Clinics
The benefits of breastfeeding for the mother-infant dyad and broader society are well documented. While U.S. breastfeeding initiation rates have improved over the past decade, rates for exclusive breastfeeding and breastfeeding duration remain low, particularly for families from communities of color, low income households, and rural regions. Given the social and environmental barriers many families face, breastfeeding policies are a promising systems-level approach to address the disparities in breastfeeding support. Within the healthcare sector, increased coordination of care across healthcare settings can improve the consistency of support for families. While there have been increased efforts to improve hospital maternity care practices, less attention has been focused on the adoption and implementation of similar breastfeeding support strategies in clinics that reach families during prenatal and postnatal care. To achieve breastfeeding equity, breastfeeding policy initiatives must incorporate policy process research pertaining to clinics. The aim of this study was to investigate how the process of developing evidence-based breastfeeding policies and practices is supported or hindered in clinic settings.
Materials Available
Project Type(s): Master's Thesis
Author(s): Shelly Johnston
Program(s): Master of Public Health, RDN Training
Year: 2016
Adviser(s):