Evaluation of the Breastfeeding Support project in the Better Start Bradford area

A quasi-experimental evaluation of the effectiveness of a community-based breastfeeding support intervention in promoting breastfeeding rates at 6-8 weeks postpartum in the Better Start Bradford cohort.

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN84780524

Enrollment

1186

Registered

2025-08-14

Start date

2018-10-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-11-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Maternal and child health, specifically focusing on: Breastfeeding support Breastfeeding rates at 6–8 weeks and 6 months postpartum Pregnancy and Childbirth

Interventions

This is a quasi-experimental evaluation using propensity score matching to compare intervention participants with matched controls within the Born in Bradford Better Start cohort. Participants in the

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Female

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Mothers who participated in the Breastfeeding Support intervention with at least one support contact 2. Completed BSB BiBBS baseline questionnaire (the consent and baseline data cohort) 3. Neither mother nor baby was admitted to the ICU/NICU after delivery

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Mothers who did not complete the BSB and BiBBS baseline questionnaire 2. Mothers or babies admitted to the ICU/NICU post-delivery

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Any breastfeeding at 6–8 weeks postpartum is measured using linked routine data collected from health visitor records (SystmOne) at one time point (the mandated 6-to-8-week review). This is recorded as a binary measure (any breastfeeding = 1 / no breastfeeding = 0).	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Exclusive breastfeeding at 6–8 weeks postpartum is measured using linked routine data collected from health visitor records (SystmOne) at one time point (the mandated 6-to-8-week review). Binary measure: exclusive breastfeeding = 1 / not exclusive = 0. 2. Any breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum is measured using linked routine data collected from health visitor records (SystmOne) at one time point (6-month health-visitor contact). Binary measure: any breastfeeding = 1 / no breastfeeding = 0. Subgroup / secondary analyses: 1. Impact of intervention delivery mode: compare outcomes by delivery mode (face-to-face vs telephone/virtual). Analysis: stratified and interaction analysis within logistic regression models (treatment × mode). 2. Dose–response (number of support contacts): correlation between number of BFS contacts and breastfeeding outcomes; modelled as both continuous and categorised (e.g., above/below median) covariate; trend tests and marginal effects reported. 3. Interpreter use: compare outcomes for participants where an interpreter was used vs not used; adjusted logistic regression and subgroup checks. 4. English language proficiency: subgroup difference (English first language vs English second language); adjusted models and interaction tests. 5. Pre- vs post-pandemic implementation effects: compare outcomes for participants who received the intervention pre-COVID (in-person) vs during COVID (telephone/virtual), including an assessment of the implementation period as an effect modifier. 6. Cost-effectiveness / economic threshold analysis: planned cost analysis of programme delivery costs plus a threshold analysis linking plausible long-term health benefits to cost-effectiveness (NICE Reference Case framework used where possible). This will be described at a high level in the registry; detailed methods will be in the analysis plan.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Exclusive breastfeeding at 6–8 weeks postpartum is measured using linked routine data collected from health visitor records (SystmOne) at one time point (the mandated 6-to-8-week review). Binary measure: exclusive breastfeeding = 1 / not exclusive = 0. 2. Any breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum is measured using linked routine data collected from health visitor records (SystmOne) at one time point (6-month health-visitor contact). Binary measure: any breastfeeding = 1 / no breastfeeding = 0. Subgroup / secondary analyses: 1. Impact of intervention delivery mode: compare outcomes by delivery mode (face-to-face vs telephone/virtual). Analysis: stratified and interaction analysis within logistic regression models (treatment × mode). 2. Dose–response (number of support contacts): correlation between number of BFS contacts and breastfeeding outcomes; modelled as both continuous and categorised (e.g., above/below median) covariate; trend tests and marginal effects reported. 3. Interpreter use: compare outcomes for participants where an interpreter was used vs not used; adjusted logistic regression and subgroup checks. 4. English language proficiency: subgroup difference (English first language vs English second language); adjusted models and interaction tests. 5. Pre- vs post-pandemic implementation effects: compare outcomes for participants who received the intervention pre-COVID (in-person) vs during COVID (telephone/virtual), including an assessment of the implementation period as an effect modifier. 6. Cost-effectiveness / economic threshold analysis: planned cost analysis of programme delivery costs plus a threshold analysis linking plausible long-term health benefits to cost-effectiveness (NICE Reference Case framework used where possible). This will be described at a high level in the registry; detailed methods will be in the analysis plan.

—

Countries

England, United Kingdom

Contacts

Public ContactMaria Bryant

maria.bryant@york.ac.uk+44 (0)1904 321321

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026