LAUSR

Job control refers to decision-making discretion and learning opportunities at work. This study found that working mothers with lower job control breastfed less. Black mothers were exposed to lower job control than White mothers, and job control explained part of the Black-White breastfeeding disparity. Background Low job control may predict shorter breastfeeding (BF) among working mothers and may contribute to racial disparities in BF. Methods We used demographic, employment, and health data for n = 631 observations from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Job control scores came from a job-exposure matrix. Using path analysis, we assessed whether job control predicted BF and mediated Black-White BF differences. We controlled for education, working hours, marital status, and low birthweight. Results Lower job control predicted decreased odds of BF for at least 6 months (odds ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.31–0.90; reference, no BF). Low job control explained 31% of the Black-White difference for both shorter-term and longer-term BF. Conclusions Low job contributes to shorter BF and to BF disparities by race. Intervening to enhance job control could improve BF.