Breastfeeding Promotion in Maternity Wards From a Socioeconomic View
Christina Kürten1, Nele Hockamp1, Kathrin Sinningen1
1Research Department of Child Nutrition, University Hospital of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, St. Josef Hospital Ruhr-University Bochum Bochum Germany.
Food Science & Nutrition
|October 20, 2025
Summary
Hospitals in socioeconomically deprived areas offer less breastfeeding support. Improving in-hospital breastfeeding promotion, information, and support can help reduce health disparities for mothers and children.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Maternal and Child Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Social disparities in breastfeeding can lead to inequalities in maternal and child health outcomes.
- In-hospital breastfeeding promotion, information, and support are crucial for establishing short- and long-term breastfeeding practices.
- The COVID-19 pandemic context highlights the need to understand existing healthcare disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between in-hospital breastfeeding promotion and the socioeconomic status of hospital catchment areas in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- To assess how socioeconomic factors influence the provision of breastfeeding support in hospitals.
- To identify potential strategies for intensifying breastfeeding promotion in underserved areas.
Main Methods:
- Operationalized in-hospital breastfeeding support using a Breastfeeding Promotion Index (BPI) based on WHO/UNICEF's 'Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding'.
- Assessed socioeconomic status of hospital catchment areas using the German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (GISD) and head physicians' estimations.
- Employed non-parametric statistical tests (Jonckheere-Terpstra) and correlation analyses (Spearman's Rho, Kendall tau c).
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between lower socioeconomic status and a lower BPI, and vice versa.
- The association between socioeconomic status and BPI was stronger using head physicians' estimations compared to GISD.
- Higher BPI and higher regional socioeconomic status were linked to increased breastfeeding rates at discharge.
Conclusions:
- Hospitals can identify needs for enhanced breastfeeding support by analyzing the socioeconomic status of their catchment areas.
- Findings suggest a potential for 'disproportionate care' even within Germany's established healthcare system.
- Targeted interventions may be necessary to address socioeconomic disparities in breastfeeding support and outcomes.
Keywords:
WHO/UNICEF ten stepsbreastfeedingbreastfeeding promotionmaternity hospitalspublic healthsocial inequalitiessocioeconomic statusMore Related Videos
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