Employer-Based Programs to Support Breastfeeding Among Working Mothers: A Systematic Review

Background: Many mothers experience barriers to maintaining a breastfeeding relationship with their infants upon returning to work and, consequently, terminate breastfeeding earlier than recommended or intended. As such, employers are in a unique position to help further increase breastfeeding rates, durations, and exclusivity. Objective: The purpose of this review is to examine the literature regarding employer-based programs, policies, and interventions to support breastfeeding among working mothers. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted for peer-reviewed articles published before April 2016. Studies were included if they focused on workplace-based lactation/breastfeeding support programs, policies, or interventions to promote breastfeeding among employees. For inclusion, articles must have measured at least one outcome, such as breastfeeding duration, breastfeeding exclusivity, or employee satisfaction. Results: Twenty-two articles were included, representing 10 different countries and both public- and private-sector employers, including governmental offices, schools, hospitals, manufacturing/industrial companies, and financial settings, among others. Providing a lactation space was the most common employer-based support accommodation studied, followed by breastfeeding breaks and comprehensive lactation support programs. The majority of studies analyzing these three support types found at least one positive breastfeeding and/or nonbreastfeeding outcome. Conclusions: This review suggests that maintaining breastfeeding while working is not only possible but also more likely when employers provide the supports that women need to do so. Although some employers may have more extensive breastfeeding support policies and practices than others, all employers can implement a breastfeeding support program that fits their company\u27s budget and resources

A Convergent Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Effects of Community-Engaged Coursework on Graduate Student Learning

Objective: To examine the impact of a community-engaged assignment on graduate student learning in the nutritional sciences. Design: Convergent mixed-methods design with parallel data collection and terminal merging of data. Data were composed of grant proposals, reflection papers, and informal course evaluations from 2 semesters of the same course. Fall students wrote proposals on behalf of a community partner whereas spring students wrote fictitious grants to improve nutrition on their campus. Setting: A large public university in northeastern US. Participants: Students enrolled in the fall (n = 19) or spring (n = 14) semester of the same graduate nutrition course. Phenomenon of Interest: Grant quality, student engagement, and collaboration with peers. Analysis: Quantitative rubric-based rating of grant proposals, emergent and thematic qualitative coding of open-ended responses, and independent-samples t test of Likert-scale questions. Data were compared between semesters and reported in a contiguous narrative approach. Results: Students across semesters experienced academic and personal gains from the assignment. Comparatively, fall students expressed enhanced engagement, improved group dynamics, more frequent application of the assignment to their lives, and a better aggregate grant score. Conclusions and Implications: Both experiential and community-engaged coursework can enhance learning outcomes at the graduate level and prepare students for careers in nutrition

Warning: BPA Toxicity. Don't Heat Food With "Plastic"

A proposal for labeling in grocery storesSpring 201