Religion and Breastfeeding Reconsidered: Exploring the Roles of Congregational and Community Support Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Background/Objectives: Previous research has linked religious involvement to increased rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration, as well as improved lactation-related health outcomes. However, affiliation with certain faith traditions may also constrain breastfeeding practices due to misconceptions, modesty norms, religiously informed cultural beliefs, or other contextual factors. Given Mississippi’s status as one of the most religious states in the United States, this study examines unique facets of the association between religion and breastfeeding, with special attention to the direct and indirect role of congregational support. Methods: This study uses data from men and women, primarily White and African American respondents, in Wave II of the Mississippi REACH Social Climate Survey. This survey features both established and novel measures of breastfeeding outcomes, enabling new insights into the linkages among religion, community perceptions, and breastfeeding prevalence in primary social networks. The REACH Social Climate Survey combines a general population sample with an oversample of African American residents from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, collected in 2023. The analysis focuses on the direct and indirect associations between congregational support for breastfeeding and the prevalence of breastfeeding within social networks. Results: The main findings reveal (1) a direct and positive association between congregational support and breastfeeding social network prevalence and (2) an indirect association between congregational support and breastfeeding social network prevalence through community support for breastfeeding. Conclusions: These results underscore the importance of examining the intersectional associations among religion, community context, and infant health outcomes.