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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sophia Autrey, MPH, 2 Peachtree Street NW, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health, WIC Branch, Suite 10-476, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-657-6073, syautrey@dhr.state.ga.us and Bethany Holloway, MEd, RD, LD, 2 Peachtree Street NW, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health, Family Health Branch, Nutrition Section, Suite 11-222, Atlanta, GA 30303.

The Georgia WIC Peer Counseling Program uses the Best Start model “Using Loving Support to Build a Peer Counseling Program” for implementation. A pilot of the model introduces a set of strategies and activities conducted within eight Health Districts throughout Georgia. Healthy People 2010's goals for breastfeeding include increasing the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies in the early postpartum period to 75%, at least 6 months to 50% and for one year to 25%. However, WIC in Georgia fell behind national rates with only 49% of WIC mothers ever breastfeeding and 16% breastfeeding at 6 months. There are racial/ethnic disparities in breastfeeding practices among Georgia's WIC mothers. Black WIC mothers have the lowest breastfeeding initiation and duration rates of all race/ethnic groups in Georgia, while Hispanic WIC mothers have the highest. The goal of peer support is to provide breastfeeding encouragement and support to pregnant and currently breastfeeding women and to increase the practice of breastfeeding through shared experiences and peer support. The evaluation of the program involves an initial needs assessment, a process evaluation based on data analyses, an impact evaluation of targeted populations and an outcome evaluation that monitors prevalence and incidence of breastfeeding rates in the targeted areas. A logic model that details each evaluation effort is developed to easily assess strengths, weakness and gaps in processes. The long-term goal of the peer counselor program is to ultimately achieve and surpass Healthy People 2010's goals and objectives.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this prsentation, a participant will

• Become aware of the importance of peer counseling in breastfeeding support;
• Be able to identify the influential factors that affect a successful peer counselor program;
• Learn the infrastructure and resources needed to sustain a successful peer counselor program;
• Know how to develop a peer counselor program in own area.

Keywords: Peer Counselors, Breastfeeding

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.pdf format, 113.5 kb)