How do breastfeeding workplace interventions work?: a realist review

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Women's Health

Background:

• Increasing female labor force participation necessitates workplace support for breastfeeding mothers.
• Evidence supports workplace lactation programs, but underlying mechanisms require further investigation.
• This realist review explores mechanisms, beneficiaries, and contextual factors of workplace breastfeeding interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To uncover the underlying mechanisms of workplace breastfeeding interventions.
• To determine which individuals benefit most from these interventions.
• To identify contextual factors influencing the uptake and effectiveness of workplace lactation programs.

Main Methods:

• Conducted comprehensive bibliographic searches across multiple databases (Medline, CINAHL, etc.).
• Included qualitative and quantitative studies on employer-initiated workplace breastfeeding interventions.
• Employed a realist approach to analyze how interventions function, for whom, and under what circumstances.

Main Results:

• Identified three key mechanisms: intervention awareness, workplace culture/support changes, and provision of time.
• Workplace culture, manager/supervisor support, and co-worker support are crucial.
• Contextual factors like distance to infant and workplace type influence mechanism activation.

Conclusions:

• Effective interventions must raise awareness among mothers and the work environment.
• Fostering a supportive workplace culture, including manager and co-worker support, is essential.
• Providing adequate time, space, and facilities is critical for successful workplace breastfeeding support.