Candice L. Thomas

Identifying job characteristics related to employed women’s breastfeeding behaviors.

For employed mothers of infants, reconciliation of work demands and breastfeeding constitutes a significant challenge. The discontinuation of breastfeeding has the potential to result in negative outcomes for the mother (e.g., higher likelihood of obesity), her employer (e.g., increased absenteeism), and her infant (e.g., increased risk of infection). Given previous research findings identifying return to work as a major risk factor for breastfeeding cessation, we investigate what types of job characteristics relate to women’s intentions to breastfeed shortly after giving birth and women’s actual breastfeeding initiation and duration. Using job titles and job descriptors contained in a large Australian longitudinal cohort data set (N = 809), we coded job titles using the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database and extracted job characteristics. Hazardous working conditions and job autonomy were identified as significant determinants of women’s breastfeeding intentions, their initiation of breastfeeding, and ultimately their breastfeeding continuation. Hence, we recommend that human resource professionals, managers, and public health initiatives provide breastfeeding-supportive resources to women who, based on their job characteristics, are at high risk to prematurely discontinue breastfeeding to ensure these mothers have equal opportunity to reap the benefits of breastfeeding.

Global Maternity Benefits and Their Impact on Maternal and Child Well-Being

Maternity benefits across the globe vary widely by country. In some countries, they include health benefits for mother and child, medical leave, and/or access to infant care support, although in other countries benefits are rather limited. In this chapter, we provide an overview of global maternity benefits that are legally required within countries and discuss the evidence pertaining to their effectiveness in promoting maternal and child well-being. Following a brief description of maternity policies in different countries, we reviewed the global similarity and variances in these policies. Although maternity benefits are beneficial in improving maternal and child well-being, it may not affect all outcomes equally and positively. By summarizing the maternity policies’ influence on mothers’ work choices, psychological/mental health, and child health, we provide a holistic picture of the benefits and costs of maternity leave. We also comment on the methodological barriers to the study of maternity benefits and end with a list of suggestions for researchers, policy makers, and organizations.

The Importance and Impact of Child Care on a Woman’s Transition to Motherhood

Given the high rate of mothers participating in the labor force, child care decisions are a critical component of reconciling work and family roles and can have lasting effects on the child, the parents, and the organization for which the mother works. Due to the importance of child care in the experience of work-family integration, this chapter aims to discuss the implications of child care on workplace, family, and well-being outcomes for mothers who return to work after childbirth. Drawing on role theory as a theoretical lens, the primary purpose of the chapter is threefold: (1) review the various types of child care available and their relevant statistics; (2) provide a focused examination of the extant literature regarding the effects of center-based child care, specifically employer-sponsored child care; and (3) delve into the ways organizations are getting involved by providing a review of the benefits and challenges of employer-sponsored child care. Finally, the methodological difficulties of conducting research in this domain are explored and suggestions for future research are provided.

Linking clinician interaction and coordination to clinical performance in Patient-Aligned Care Teams

BackgroundTeam coordination within clinical care settings is a critical component of effective patient care. Less is known about the extent, effectiveness, and impact of coordination activities among professionals within VA Patient-Aligned Care Teams (PACTs). This study will address these gaps by describing the specific, fundamental tasks and practices involved in PACT coordination, their impact on performance measures, and the role of coordination task complexity.Methods/designFirst, we will use a web-based survey of coordination practices among 1600 PACTs in the national VHA. Survey findings will characterize PACT coordination practices and assess their association with clinical performance measures. Functional job analysis, using 6–8 subject matter experts who are 3rd and 4th year residents in VA Primary Care rotations, will be utilized to identify the tasks involved in completing clinical performance measures to standard. From this, expert ratings of coordination complexity will be used to determine the level of coordinative complexity required for each of the clinical performance measures drawn from the VA External Peer Review Program (EPRP). For objective 3, data collected from the first two methods will evaluate the effect of clinical complexity on the relationships between measures of PACT coordination and their ratings on the clinical performance measures.DiscussionResults from this study will support successful implementation of coordinated team-based work in clinical settings by providing knowledge regarding which aspects of care require the most complex levels of coordination and how specific coordination practices impact clinical performance.

What about the Family? Work experiences and family well being

Recently, researchers have started to examine the impact of employees’ work experiences on their families. This session will focus on expanding this work and take a closer look at three crucial family stakeholder groups: First, we explore the impact of workplace incivility on spousal well-being. Second, we investigate the characteristics of specific occupations as antecedents of breastfeeding, a crucial precursor for health outcomes in children. Last, we investigate work experiences among breastfeeding mothers as precursors of maternal psychological health. Predicting Breast Feeding with Maternal Work Characteristics Presenter: Bobbie Dirr; U. of Houston Presenter: Zhuxi Wang; U. of Houston Presenter: Jing Zhang; U. of Houston Presenter: Rissa Thomas; U. of Houston Presenter: Lane Strathearn; Baylor College of Medicine Bringing it Home: Implications of Incivility for the Work-Family Interface Presenter: Lisa A Marchiondo; Wayne State U. Presenter: Gwenith Fisher; Colorado State U. Presenter: Russell A. Ma...