Behavioural Insights Sunderland (BIS)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Behavioural insights to improve breastfeeding rates in Sunderland
IRAS ID
286853
Contact name
Manuel Monti-Nussbaum
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sunderland City Council
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 1 days
Research summary
Background and importance - The UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. Sunderland is a city with high levels of deprivation in England. Breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates in Sunderland are significantly lower than the national percentage. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life as breast milk provides all the nutrients needed for healthy growth and development during this time. There is limited research exploring whether breastfeeding support applications (e.g., computer or mobile applications, websites and social media tools, voice assistant technology) can help improve breastfeeding rates. This research aims to address this gap in literature and support the improvement of maternal and infant health outcomes by achieving increased rates of breastfeeding.
Objectives – This study uses a behavioural insights approach to encourage mothers in Sunderland to take up Breastfeeding Friend (BFF), a breastfeeding support application created by Public Health England, which is available for free on platforms like Facebook Messenger chatbot, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. We will then evaluate the effectiveness of BFF in improving breastfeeding rates.
Research questions –
● Can behavioural science interventions improve the take-up and usage of the Breastfeeding Friend among mothers in Sunderland?
● Does the use of the Breastfeeding Friend improve breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates among mothers in Sunderland?Trial Design – The study design will be a randomised control trial. All expecting women in Sunderland that agree to participate will be randomised into a treatment or control group. The treatment will include receiving encouragement from a health visitor to use Breastfeeding Friend. The local site will be the Sunderland Health Visiting Service (managed by the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust). The study will run for 8-10 months.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
20/WA/0325
Date of REC Opinion
30 Dec 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion