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336439
Analysis of users and usage of a nursing mothers' room (NMR) at a large state university: 2011 through 2014


Sunday, November 1, 2015

Laura Duckett, BSN, MS, PhD, MPH, RN, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Background:  Breastfeeding prevents disease and benefits health.  U.S. breastfeeding initiation rates have been improving but duration rates lag far behind recommendations.  Women who return to work or school during the early postpartum are at risk for early weaning.  The Affordable Care Act of 2010 specified that employers must give breastfeeding women time and a suitable place to pump their milk.  The project aim was to describe users and usage of one NMR at a large state university from 2011 through 2014. 

Methods:  Women provided data about themselves when they obtained a NMR key, and signed in and out each time they used the NMR to document room usage.

Results:  The numbers of women initiating use of the NMR were 32 (2011), 37 (2012), 31 (2013), and 40 (2014).  Most used the NMR over parts of two calendar years.  Women were from all parts of the Academic Health Center and included faculty/staff (34.8%), and undergraduate (6.7%) and graduate (58.5%) students.  Annual NMR uses were 2,206 (2011), 2119 (2012), 1,757 (2013), and 2,589 (2014).  Average daily uses of the NMR on weekdays, excluding holidays, was 8.57 (sd = 3.94).  Mean pumping time for a random sample of 12 days (105 room uses) was 22.05 minutes (sd=8.33).

Conclusions:  Annual users and usages were greater in 2011 through 2014 than in 2004 through 2006.  Women pumped their milk in a time efficient manner.  Breastfeeding advocacy efforts on campus appear to be contributing to demand for and use of this and other NMRs on campus.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Advocacy for health and health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Describe effective and efficient strategies that can be used to assess users, usage and impact of nursing mothers rooms (NMRs) on a university campus. Discuss how data gathered using such strategies provides evidence that can be used to make the case for additional NMRs and other resources for breastfeeding women in university or other work and school settings.

Keyword(s): Breastfeeding, Workplace

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have published research about breastfeeding and maternal employment. A graduate student and I opened the first nursing mothers' room (NMR) on our campus Fall 1994, and I have continued to administer it. Student collaborators and I have conducted periodic surveys of users and assessments of usage. I serve on the campus-wide Lactation Advocacy Committee and the University Social Concerns Committee, and co-authored the lactation support resolution passed by the University Senate in 1913.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 2049.0: Public Health Nursing & Environmental Health Posters