Breastfeeding and workplace support in Nepal
Mallika Shrestha1,2, Saroj Adhikari1, Nishant Shrestha3
1Health Office Parsa, Ministry of Health and Population, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Working mothers encounter numerous challenges in exclusively breastfeeding their children despite overwhelming evidence of its benefits. This study examines exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices among employed mothers in Nepal, focusing on workplace support factors including maternity leave duration, flexible work schedules, task adjustments, breastfeeding policies, availability of lactation rooms, and dissemination of organizational support information. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Nepal among employed mothers with children under two years old. A self-administered online questionnaire was used to gather data from 201 mothers, and the results were analyzed using SPSS 16. EBF prevalence among employed mothers was 37.8%, with 76.4% identifying their return to work as the primary reason for discontinuing EBF. Only 18.9% of workplaces had designated rooms for breastfeeding, but such spaces increased the likelihood of EBF by 11.6 times (COR: 11.6; 95% CI: 4.7 - 28.2). Furthermore, task adjustment increased EBF by four times (COR: 4.2; 95% CI: 2.2 - 7.8). Maternity leave, combined with breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, significantly promotes EBF practices among working mothers in Nepal.
Working mothers encounter numerous challenges in exclusively breastfeeding their children despite overwhelming evidence of its benefits. This study examines exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices among employed mothers in Nepal, focusing on workplace support factors including maternity leave duration, flexible work schedules, task adjustments, breastfeeding policies, availability of lactation rooms, and dissemination of organizational support information. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Nepal among employed mothers with children under two years old. A self-administered online questionnaire was used to gather data from 201 mothers, and the results were analyzed using SPSS 16. EBF prevalence among employed mothers was 37.8%, with 76.4% identifying their return to work as the primary reason for discontinuing EBF. Only 18.9% of workplaces had designated rooms for breastfeeding, but such spaces increased the likelihood of EBF by 11.6 times (COR: 11.6; 95% CI: 4.7 - 28.2). Furthermore, task adjustment increased EBF by four times (COR: 4.2; 95% CI: 2.2 - 7.8). Maternity leave, combined with breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, significantly promotes EBF practices among working mothers in Nepal.
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