SH5008QA Advancing the Health of the Population Assignment Sample

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Introduction

Breastfeeding is regarded as a widely recognised element in the context of public health. It offers significant benefits to both child health and maternal health. Breastfeeding is important to reduce the risk factors of chronic disease infections and it is highly effective to enhance cognitive outcomes in the context of infants. There are multiple advantages associated with breastfeeding and healthcare authorities are offering appropriate recommendations for breastfeeding across the globe. However, breastfeeding rates within a highly advanced country like England is suboptimal. There are significant disparities within regional and socio-economic lines in the context of breastfeeding elements. Understanding the overall influence of a health in all policies (HiAP) approach to improve breastfeeding rates among mothers in England is the primary motive of this study. This topic often requires assignment help writing to comprehensively cover its health, social, and policy dimensions for academic success.

Providing important definitions

Breastfeeding is regarded as the process to feed a young child or an infant with milk directly from the breast of mothers. According to the view of Hamer et al. (2022), exclusive breastfeeding is highly important at least for the first 6 months of life. Individuals need to continue breastfeeding with complementary foods up to 2 years of old or beyond. It is highly effective to offer optimal nutrition as well as health related benefits to both mothers and infants.

Exclusive breastfeeding is regarded as the process to feed any infant only breast milk as no other solids or liquids are included in this aspect. According to the view of Pérez-Escamilla et al. (2023), exclusive breastfeeding is highly important in the context of the first 6 months of life and there are several exceptions such as oral rehydration solutions can be included in this aspect. Minerals, vitamins as well as necessary medicines can also be included at the time of exclusive breastfeeding.

HiAP is regarded as a public health approach which provides proper priority towards the systematic integration of health-related considerations in the policy making structure. According to the view of Amri, (2022), HiAP indicates that health related outcomes are highly influenced by multiple economic, social as well as environmental elements. It is highly important to promote the concept of intersectoral collaboration for addressing the major determinants in the health sector.

SH5008QA Advancing the Health of the Population Assignment Sample

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Social determinants of health can be defined as the particular conditions which are related to the growth, birth, age, life as well as work of individuals. It also includes social factors such as education status, social support employment as well as access to healthcare (Hill-Briggs et al. 2021). The determinants are highly important to shape the overall outline in the context of disparities as well as health outcomes. Breastfeeding rates are regarded as the statistical element to highlight the particular proportion of mothers who are capable of initiating the concept of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding rates are highly effective to be utilised as an indicator of child as well as maternal health in the context of public health characteristics.

Socio ecological model is regarded as a specific theoretical framework and it is common in the context of public health characteristics. The framework can be applied to address as well as understand the different levels which can influence health behaviours. It is highly focused to understand the interplay between interpersonal, individual, organisational, community as well as policy level factors in the context of health outcomes.

According to the view of Prentice (2022), a policy is regarded as a course of action as well as a set of decisions which can be adopted as well as implemented by government authorities or organisations for addressing particular issues to ensure sustainable outcomes. In this context, HiAP has been analysed and policies from multiple sectors such as education, housing as well as labour can influence the concept of public health directly and indirectly through analysing the social determinants of health-related characteristics.

Providing contextual background information relevant to the topic and discussing public health policy

The concept of breastfeeding is regarded as one of the most recognised practices to enhance maternal and infant health. UNICEF and WHO recommend the concept of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. It also refers to the concept of continuous breastfeeding up to 2 years of age of children and beyond (Unicef.org.uk, 2025). The UK is known as one of the most financially and educationally developed Nations across the globe. For instance, the literacy rate of this country is 99% and it highlights that people of this country have proper knowledge to understand the importance of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding. However, the breastfeeding rate within the UK is not effective enough. For instance, 81% of the total mothers in England initiate the concept of breastfeeding at the time of childbirth but the rate significantly declines by 6 to 8 weeks postpartum (Ukhsa.blog.gov.uk, 2021). Only 48% of the total mothers in England exclusively or partially breastfeed at the particular stage. It is highly important to understand and analyse this statistical information. For instance, the sharp drop indicates that there are multiple barriers in the context of breastfeeding such as cultural norms, socio economic factors as well as systemic gaps in support.

Understanding the socio-economic disparities and regional disparities is highly important at the initial phase. London has the highest breastfeeding rates in the UK as it is more than 85% at the initiation phase (Gov.uk, 2025). However, the other regions such as northeast regions have comparatively lower initial rates as it is below 70%. It is highly important to understand the socio-cultural characteristics of breastfeeding related elements as the UK is known as one of the most culturally diverse countries across the globe. The country is capable of welcoming individuals from different ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds. London is known as one of the most culturally rich regions in the UK. The average breastfeeding initiation rate in England is 74% and the rate is 87% for London. It is important to recognise that breastfeeding rates in London have significantly increased within the last few years. In London mothers from ethnic or black backgrounds and the mothers who are born outside the UK are known for being more likely to breastfeed their children compared to the UK residents. It is also important to mention that young mothers who are living in London do not actively participate in breastfeeding as older mothers living in London are more likely to participate in breastfeeding. White British community has a comparatively higher drop of rates in the breastfeeding sector and it indicates that cultural differences and socio-economic characteristics play a significant role in this aspect. However, it is important to mention that individuals from coloured communities generally have less access to culturally sensitive support in the context of breastfeeding compared to the individuals from white British cultural background.

The government authority of the UK has introduced multiple legal policies and initiatives to promote the concept of breastfeeding publicly. However, there are multiple barriers associated with breastfeeding. According to the view of Tucker and O’Malley (2022), the normalisation of formula feeding is a major barrier of breastfeeding and lack of awareness regarding the major benefits associated with breastfeeding is also a main issue. Young mothers have generally less knowledge regarding the overall importance and health related benefits of continuing or initiating breastfeeding. The government authority of the UK is less focused on introducing strong and effective marketing campaigns to enhance the overall awareness within young mothers and common people. The marketing campaigns to enhance educational awareness within common people regarding breastfeeding are not culturally diversified. It is highly important to introduce strong and effective awareness campaigns based on the cultural characteristics and requirements.

There is workplace challenges related to the concept of breastfeeding. For instance, the maternity leave policy of the UK is inadequate. The maternity leave policy of the UK can offer up to 52 weeks of maternity leave to working mothers but working mothers are not able to completely utilise the 52 weeks of leave due to financial issues. For instance, if a working mother takes 52 weeks of statutory maternity leave, she will be unpaid for the final 13 weeks (Assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, 2024). Only the first 39 weeks will get maternity allowance. Working mothers get 90% of full pay for 6 weeks and the other 33 weeks are related to a flat rate (Assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, 2024). Workload is high in the UK and workplace related competition is influencing working mothers to participate quickly in the workforce. It can be one of the main reasons for the poor breastfeeding rate in the UK.

On the other hand, the government authority of the UK has introduced multiple policies and strategic directions to enhance the concept of breastfeeding throughout England. For example, the Baby friendly initiative is a strategic direction of UNICEF and it has been introduced throughout the NHS trusts (Ukbreastfeeding.org, 2025). The primary concern of this strategic direction is to enhance the concept of breastfeeding support within community settings as well as hospitals in the UK. It was introduced in 1994 and initiation rates of breastfeeding have increased by 20% since the introduction of this policy (Ukbreastfeeding.org, 2025). The policy is successful by going beyond maternity settings and it is highly focused on introducing standards in the context of infant feeding support initiatives within the local community. This strategic direction has also provided proper attention towards introducing University training initiatives for improving awareness within the next generation. However, it is important to mention that the major characteristics of this policy are not successful to reach the home settings in the UK and it is reducing the long term impact of the strategic direction.

The NHS is responsible for all health-related characteristics within the UK. The health care institution has successfully integrated technology to promote awareness related to breastfeeding. For instance, “Start4Life” is a chatbot of the NHS and new mothers can get any answers from this chatbot (Nhs.uk, 2025). The digital tool is capable of working as a health visitor and maternity related all aspects can be solved by asking the right question. However, the primary focus of this campaign is to increase knowledge related to health-related aspects of new mothers and it is not capable of recognising the structural as well as systematic barriers related to breastfeeding. It is highly important to recognise the systematic characteristics of a scenery before developing the most appropriate strategic directions. Enhancing the overall knowledge and awareness of common people related to breastfeeding should be the highest priority.

The UK has the Equality act 2010 and this legal guideline protects the rights of mothers to breastfeed their child in public locations and it is capable of promoting the concept of normalisation (Legislation.gov.uk, 2025). However, legal guidelines are not sufficient to ensure the normalization of breastfeeding publicly. Government authorities and institutions need to provide more attention towards the successful implementation of the legal guidelines.

Providing recommendations

Sweden and Norway are successful in getting more than 80% breastfeeding rate at 6 months postpartum. The UK can learn from the overall characteristics of countries like Norway and Sweden to significantly enhance the overall rate of breastfeeding. The main issue of England is to introduce an integrated support system for breastfeeding specifically within community settings and the workplace sector. According to the view of Hawkins et al. (2021), the Social ecological model (SEM) highlights that the link between interpersonal, individual, organisational, communities as well as policy level factors should be recognised to introduce the most suitable framework.

The first phase is at the individual level and SEM provides proper focus on personal factors like attitude knowledge as well as behaviour. The health belief model can be utilised to recognise the influence of personal bills regarding breastfeeding. It is highly important to make proper customised breastfeeding awareness education. It is highly important to provide more focus on the major health related benefits for both mothers and infants in the context of breastfeeding. The theoretical principles of SEM indicates that interventions within the personal level can be highly effective by providing personalized as well as clear instructions or information.

The next aspect is interpersonal level or social support networks. According to the view of Marks et al. (2024), relationships with partners, families as well as colleagues can significantly influence health related behaviours. Social support from peer groups or family members can significantly affect the decisions related to breastfeeding. Engaging partners or family members within the breastfeeding educational campaign as well as support programs can be effective in this aspect. The HiAP approach should provide proper attention towards facilitating the concept of partnerships with community organisations and it will help to offer culturally acceptable or appropriate support or educational facilities for breastfeeding.

It is important to understand that countries which have proper workplace accommodations for breastfeeding and appropriate maternity leave policies generally have comparatively higher breastfeeding rates (Morniroli et al. 2021). The government authority of the UK can introduce effective policies which can provide major incentives to the business organisations which positively adopt breastfeeding friendly accommodation as well as policies. For instance, offering subsidies or tax breaks to the businesses who are capable of introducing breastfeeding friendly policies can be effective in this aspect.

The main principles of SEM highlight the major characteristics of policy level intervention. Public health campaigns and legal guidelines play a significant role to shape the overall outline of health-related characteristics. The government authority can introduce strong and effective legal guidelines for ensuring proper protection for mothers who are breastfeeding in public areas. Introducing attractive relations for breastfeeding in schools and colleges can also be effective to significantly enhance the overall awareness. The NHS can introduce large scale public health campaigns to provide proper information related to the major benefits of breastfeeding and the overall required social support for integrating breastfeeding with local culture. The primary focus of the campaigns should be to include both the general public as well as new mothers as it will help to change the overall perceptions related to breastfeeding in public sectors.

Addressing the social determinants of health is highly important to introduce changes in structural level. Limited access to education support services as well as healthcare is one of the main reasons for separation in the breastfeeding sector. Introducing a HiAP approach can be effective to address the specific issues by ensuring that new mothers from all income segments should have equal access in the context of breastfeeding support. Government authority should provide more attention towards introducing targeted promotion programs for breastfeeding within the specific regions which have lower rates of breastfeeding. It is highly important to understand that using a data driven approach for breastfeeding characteristics can provide more success.

Conclusion

According to the overall discussion it can be understood that breastfeeding is a major issue within the UK. Breastfeeding rate in England is not attractive and it is highly important to introduce effective HiAP policies to promote breastfeeding in public areas and offering effective service or support to new mothers. Using data driven strategies and using highly attractive awareness campaigns can provide success.

References

• Amri, M., (2022). Healthy governance for cities: synergizing Health in All Policies (HiAP) and Healthy Cities approaches. Journal of Urban Health, 99(2), pp.231-234.
• Assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, (2024). Maternity leave. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7a1fe1ed915d6d99f5d52e/maternity_leave_policy_april2013.pdf [Accessed on 9.01.2025]
• Gov.uk, (2025). Breastfeeding initiation high in London but drop-off rates could be improved. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/breastfeeding-initiation-high-in-london-but-drop-off-rates-could-be-improved#:~:text=87%25%20of%20mothers%20in%20London,ranged%20from%209%25%20to%2032%25 [Accessed on 9.01.2025]
• Hamer, D.H., Solomon, H., Das, G., Knabe, T., Beard, J., Simon, J., Nisar, Y.B. and MacLeod, W.B., (2022). Importance of breastfeeding and complementary feeding for management and prevention of childhood diarrhoea in low-and middle-income countries. Journal of Global Health, 12.
• Hawkins, M.M., Schmitt, M.E., Adebayo, C.T., Weitzel, J., Olukotun, O., Christensen, A.M., Ruiz, A.M., Gilman, K., Quigley, K., Dressel, A. and Mkandawire-Valhmu, L., (2021). Promoting the health of refugee women: a scoping literature review incorporating the social ecological model. International journal for equity in health, 20, pp.1-10.
• Hill-Briggs, F., Adler, N.E., Berkowitz, S.A., Chin, M.H., Gary-Webb, T.L., Navas-Acien, A., Thornton, P.L. and Haire-Joshu, D., (2021). Social determinants of health and diabetes: a scientific review. Diabetes care, 44(1), p.258.
• Legislation.gov.uk, (2025). Equality Act 2010. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents [Accessed on 9.01.2025]
• Marks, K.J., Gosdin, L., O’Connor, L.E., Hamner, H.C. and Grossniklaus, D.A., (2024). Changes in maternity care policies and practices that support breastfeeding as measured by the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding—United States, 2018–2022. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 24(1), p.475.
• Morniroli, D., Consales, A., Colombo, L., Bezze, E.N., Zanotta, L., Plevani, L., Fumagalli, M., Mosca, F. and Giannì, M.L., (2021). Exploring the impact of restricted partners’ visiting policies on non-infected mothers’ mental health and breastfeeding rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12), p.6347.
• Nhs.uk, (2025). Breastfeeding Friend from Start for Life. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/baby/feeding-your-baby/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-friend-from-start-for-life/ [Accessed on 9.01.2025]
• Pérez-Escamilla, R., Tomori, C., Hernández-Cordero, S., Baker, P., Barros, A.J., Bégin, F., Chapman, D.J., Grummer-Strawn, L.M., McCoy, D., Menon, P. and Neves, P.A.R., (2023). Breastfeeding: crucially important, but increasingly challenged in a market-driven world. The Lancet, 401(10375), pp.472-485.
• Prentice, A.M., (2022). Breastfeeding in the modern world. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 78(Suppl. 2), pp.29-38.
• Tucker, Z. and O’Malley, C., (2022). Mental health benefits of breastfeeding: a literature review. Cureus, 14(9).
• Ukbreastfeeding.org, (2025). Baby Friendly Initiative. Available at: https://ukbreastfeeding.org/tag/baby-friendly-initiative/#:~:text=The%20Baby%20Friendly%20Initiative%20has,breastfeeding%20and%20responsive%20infant%20feeding. [Accessed on 9.01.2025]
• Ukhsa.blog.gov.uk, (2021). Breastfeeding Celebration Week – supporting mothers who breastfeed. Available at: https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2021/06/25/breastfeeding-celebration-week-supporting-mothers-who-breastfeed/ [Accessed on 9.01.2025]
• Unicef.org.uk, (2025). Breastfeeding in the UK. Available at: https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/about/breastfeeding-in-the-uk/ [Accessed on 9.01.2025]