Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
Published on: September 22, 2023
Retention and Structural Inequities in Clinical Research: Insights from a Breastfeeding Intervention Study
Objective:
To be effective and generalizable, research must include diverse populations representative of the intended beneficiaries. Among women with low income in the United States, 74.9% initiate breastfeeding, but only 47.5% continue to six months. This analysis examined how structural inequities, indicated by income, race, and ethnicity, affect participant retention in a breastfeeding intervention.
Methods:
Participants (N=250) enrolled in PROMPT, a longitudinal randomized text-based breastfeeding self-management intervention trial. Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze retention over 24 weeks.
Results:
Overall retention was 72%. Dropout risk was significantly higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black participants (HR 2.86, p<.001), and among those with lower income (HR 2.61, p<.001). A three-factor model (including income, race/ethnicity, and age) was statistically significant overall (p=.0001), though individual predictors were not.
Conclusion:
Structural inequities may contribute to differential retention in breastfeeding trials, highlighting the need for equity-focused recruitment and retention strategies.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Bias in Epidemiological Studies
Longitudinal Research
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Regression Toward the Mean
Development of the Oral Microbiota
Ethics in Research

