Influence of Food Desert Residence on Breastfeeding Initiation

Breastfeeding is associated with improved health outcomes. Several social drivers of health impact breastfeeding initiation (BFI). Prior research using ecological data demonstrated that food desert residence (FDR) is associated with lower rates of BFI. The primary objective was to assess the relationship between FDR and BFI using individual-level data. The secondary objective was to assess the relationship between FDR and BFI at the county level. Individual-level birth data from the Florida Department of Health were linked to food access data from the United States Department of Agriculture Food Access Research Atlas in 2010, 2015, and 2019. Food deserts were identified per the United States Department of Agriculture definition. Adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using modified Poisson regression models in 573,368 births. Models were adjusted for confounders and stratified by race/ethnicity. We assessed the association between the percent of the population in low-income and low-access census tracts aggregated to the county level and the percent of mothers initiating breastfeeding per county in Florida (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) using Pearson's correlation and a bivariate map. FDR was associated with BFI (aRR: 1.23, CI: 1.20-1.27). The adjusted risk of not-initiating breastfeeding for those living in a food desert was greatest among non-Hispanic Black women (aRR: 1.29, CI: 1.24-1.35) and Hispanic women (aRR: 1.29, CI: 1.21-1.37). Maternal education was the most significant predictor of BFI. Women who had 9th through 12th-grade education but without a diploma were five times (aRR: 4.96, CI: 4.72-5.20) less likely to initiate breastfeeding relative to college graduates. There was no association between FDR and BFI at the county level, though regional trends were noted. FDR is an important risk factor for not-initiating breastfeeding. Among Floridians, education was the most significant risk factor. Understanding how FDR influences breastfeeding can help target interventions to improve breastfeeding outcomes.