Shift-work and breastfeeding for women returning to work in a manufacturing workplace in Taiwan

Although breastfeeding-friendly workplaces are provided to promote an employed mother’s breastfeeding intention, few studies have explored breastfeeding intentions and behavior after a mother returns to work on a shift work or non-shift work schedule. To explore the impact of breastfeeding-friendly support on the intention of working mothers with different work schedules to continue breastfeeding, we conducted a survey at a female labor-intensive electronics manufacturer in Taiwan from August 2011 to April 2012.

Female workers who met the inclusion criteria (maternity leave between January 2009 and January 2011) were invited to participate in the survey. A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 715 working mothers employed at an electronics manufacturing plant in Tainan Science Park in Southern Taiwan. The questionnaire content included female employee demographic characteristics, employment characteristics, continued breastfeeding behavior after returning to work, access to lactation rooms, and employee perception of the breastfeeding policy and support when raising their most recently born child.

A total of 715 employed mothers’ data were collected. Of the shift workers, 90.1% breastfed during maternity leave, but the breastfeeding rates after returning to work decreased to 21.5% for one to six months and 17.9% for more than six months. Of the non-shift workers, 87.6% breastfed during maternity leave and the breastfeeding rates after returning to work were 24.1% for one to six months and 34.6% for more than six months. Using a lactation room and taking advantage of breast-pumping breaks were significant factors for continuing to breastfeed one to six months after returning to work and more than six months after returning to work among shift workers and non-shift workers. In addition, among non-shift workers, a higher education level of the mother (odds ratio (OR) = 9.57) and partner support (OR = 4.89) had positive effects toward a mother continuing breastfeeding for more than six months after returning to work.

Workplaces or employers should provide more support to encourage employed mothers to take advantage of the breastfeeding room and breast-pumping breaks, enhance the frequency of the usage of lactation rooms, and increase the rate of continued breastfeeding.