Breastfeeding support at work: A comparison between career women in the public and private sectors in Trinidad and Tobago

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate knowledge and perceptions toward breastfeeding support at work among women in public and private sectors in Trinidad and Tobago. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A purposive sampling design was used to select women employees from the public and private sectors. Employees were surveyed using a self administered 16-item structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 21. Independent t-test wasused to compare perceptions held by the public and private sectors. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between the variables. The level of significance was set at the 0.05 level. RESULTS: The mean breastfeeding knowledge score for the participants was 2.31 ± 0.83, with the public sector employees having a mean score of 2.42 ± 0.759, which was statistically significant (p = 0.004) when compared to the private score of 2.14 ± 0.914. The mean readiness score 26to utilize breastfeeding support for the public and private sectors employees were 1.08 ± 0.482 and 1.14 ± 0.525, respectively; however, no significant difference was observed between the two groups (p = 0.294). The mean perception scores were 1.75 ± 0.985 for the public sector and 1.90 ± 0.950 for the private sector, with no significant difference between groups (p = 0.184). CONCLUSIONS: Participants had adequate breastfeeding knowledge and a positive attitude and perception toward breastfeeding at work. We recommend that an intervention programme be developed to increase the awareness of breastfeeding support at work so that employees and employers can become more aware of its purpose and benefits.

Anthropometric parameters and metabolic risks among amateur adolescent swimmers

OBJECTIVE: To estimate selected anthropometric variables and metabolic risks among amateur adolescent swimmers. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this cross sectional study, standard anthropometric measurements were made on 220 swimmers aged 11-21 years. Data were used to estimate anthropometric parameters and to assess metabolic risk by comparing participants’ measurements to standard cut-off points. RESULTS: Mean body mass index (BMI) was 21.23 ñ 3.85 kg/m3 and fell within the 3rd and 85th percentile for children. Mean waist circumference (WC) was 69.83 ñ 8.08 cm, and based on WC for age, 97.7% swimmers were at “low risk” and 2.3% were at “high risk” for becoming obese. Mean body fat percentage (BFP) was 21.20 ñ 9.27, with 55.1% swimmers classified as “normal fat” or optimal. The mean for visceral fat (VF) was 4.77 ñ 2.90. Mean skeletal muscle mass was 38.33 ñ 6.36%. Statistically significant differences were observed between mean values for height (p < 0.001), weight (p = 0.011), mid upper-arm circumference (MUAC) (p = 0.035), and VF (p = 0.033) for males and females. BMI measurements identified four swimmers as underweight, 39 and 19 as overweight and obese, respectively. WC measurement placed 35 swimmer in the “under fat” category, 32 in the “over fat” category, and 22 were considered “obese”. For VF, 1 swimmer recorded a high measurement while for percent skeletal muscle mass (SMM), 5 swimmers were classed as “very high,” 15 “high,” 9 “normal,” and 1 low. CONCLUSION: Based on BMI, WC, body fat percentages, and VF, the majority of swimmers had a healthy body composition and at low metabolic risk.