Effects of work-related factors on the breastfeeding behavior of working mothers in a Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the creation of supportive environments for encouraging mothers to breastfeed their children has emerged as a key health issue for women and children. The provision of lactation rooms and breast pumping breaks have helped mothers to continue breastfeeding after returning to work, but their effectiveness is uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of worksite breastfeeding-friendly policies and work-related factors on the behaviour of working mothers. METHODS: This study was conducted at a large Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer in August-September 2003. Questionnaires were used to collect data on female employees' breastfeeding behaviour, child rearing and work status when raising their most recently born child. A total of 998 valid questionnaires were collected, giving a response rate of 75.3%. RESULTS: The results showed that 66.9% of survey respondents breastfed initially during their maternity leave, which averaged 56 days. Despite the provision of lactation rooms and breast pumping breaks, only 10.6% mothers continued to breastfeed after returning to work, primarily office workers and those who were aware of their company's breastfeeding-friendly policies. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, breastfeeding-friendly policies can significantly affect breastfeeding behaviour. However, an unfavourable working environment, especially for fab workers, can make it difficult to implement breastfeeding measures. With health professionals emphasizing that the importance of breastfeeding for infant health, and as only females can perform lactation, it is vital that women's work "productive role" and family "reproductive role" be respected and accommodated by society

Evaluating working conditions in the informal economy: evidence from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey

Although it is widely held that working conditions in the informal economy are worse than in the formal economy, little evidence has been so far provided. The aim of this article is to fill this lacuna by comparing the working conditions of informal employees with formal employees using the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analysis provides a nuanced and variegated appreciation of which working conditions are worse for informal employees, which are no different, and which are better for informal than formal employees. The article concludes by discussing the theoretical and policy implications

Variation of grain iron content in a local upland rice germplasm from the village of Huai Tee Cha in northern Thailand

This experiment examined variation of iron (Fe) concentration in grain of local Thai rice varieties from Huai Tee Cha village, in northern Thailand. Seeds of 17 named varieties were collected from farmers in 66 accessions. Brown rice from each accession was stained individually with Perls' Prussian blue, with IR68144 (high grain Fe) and KDML105 (low grain Fe) as checks. A wide range of grain Fe contents were found among different varieties, different seed lots with the same name and within individual accessions, notably BB, BGU and BK. The Fe concentrations in these varieties were confirmed by chemical analysis. Two accessions of each variety with most intense staining and highest average concentration of grain Fe were selected, and 20-40 seeds from each were sown for subsequent progeny testing. There was morphological variation between plants in 5 out of 6 accessions in characteristics such as pigmentation of the apiculus, pericarp and seed coat, while the sixth was externally uniform. Analysis for Fe concentration in seeds of individual lines found that the highest Fe lines were 40% to 50% higher than the lowest Fe lines. This range of grain Fe was found in all six accessions that were progeny tested, including BGU5 which was externally uniform in appearance (H'= 0). We have shown that variation in grain Fe concentration in local Thai rice may be found between different seed lots bearing the same name and within individual seed lot as well as between varieties. This level of genetic variation may need to be considered when assessing for traits such as grain Fe for breeding programs

Genotypic variation in adaptation to soil acidity in local upland rice varieties

Local upland rice germplasm is an invaluable resource for farmers who grow rice on acidic soils without flooding that benefits wetland rice. In this study, we evaluated the adaptation to soil acidity in common local upland rice varieties from an area with acidic soil in Thailand. Tolerance to hydrogen and aluminium (Al) toxicity was determined by measuring root growth, plant dry weight and phosphorus (P) uptake in aerated solution culture without the supplementation of Al (0 mg/l) at pH 7 and 4 and with the supplementation of 10, 20 and 30 mg Al/l at pH 4. The root growth of upland rice plants grown from farmers' seed was depressed less by Al than that of common wetland rice varieties. Pure-line genotypes of upland rice varieties were differentiated into several classes of Al tolerance, with frequency distribution of the classes that sometimes differed between the accessions of the same varieties. The effect of Al tolerance on root length was closely correlated with depression by Al in root dry weight and whole-plant P content. A source for adaptation to soil acidity for exploitation in the genetic improvement of aerobic and rainfed rice is clearly found among local upland rice varieties grown on acidic soils. However, the variation in tolerance to soil acidity within and among the seed lots of the same varieties maintained by individual farmers as well as among the varieties needs to be taken into consideration