Impact of an Infant Friendly Business Designation

Abstract

In response to suboptimal breastfeeding rates, North Dakota added a provision to SB 2344 (public indecency legislation) creating an Infant Friendly business designation for employers providing specified lactation accommodations to employees. However, there has been no evaluation of this designation to determine effectiveness. The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of the Infant Friendly business designation in North Dakota on breastfeeding continuation rates within the context of the social ecological model (SEM). Between November 2016 and March 2017, an 85-item online questionnaire, designed using the SEM, was distributed to working women across the state using various sampling methods. T tests, analysis of variance, and regression were used to analyze results. Designated (intervention) and nondesignated (control) businesses were targeted. There was no statistically significant difference in breastfeeding duration between designated and nondesignated businesses. There was a 2-month difference in duration between continually designated businesses and those with lapsing designations. Twenty-eight percent of the women working for Infant Friendly businesses were aware that their businesses were designated, indicating a lack of awareness regarding the designation. The designation is a starting point for worksite breastfeeding support. A policy promotion plan based on the SEM targeting individual awareness and employee education may improve the designation's effectiveness.