Author: Zoe Treat | Major: Public Health | Semester: Fall 2023

My name is Zoe Treat, and I am a public health major with a minor in medical humanities in the College of Education and Health Professions, with a double major in biology in Fulbright College. Dr. Allison Scott, in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, is my thesis mentor. We started data collection during the Fall 2023 semester and plan on wrapping up my project in the summer of 2024.

My research looks at the relationship between breastfeeding practices and maternal mental health. More specifically, we are looking at the exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding, and maternal anxiety symptoms. Postpartum depression is a well-recognized area of research, but postpartum anxiety does not have the same degree of recognition. The body of literature is also lacking in the effects that breastfeeding has on these anxiety symptoms.

I chose my thesis topic based on my career goals. I have wanted to be an OBGYN since I was fourteen, so I knew that I wanted my research to focus on women’s health in some capacity. I found my mentor on the Faculty Mentor Dashboard when it was first created. The dashboard is a page where faculty members can post their research projects and any recruitment information and instructions. My mentor works with Tiny Tusks, a group that provides breastfeeding spaces on campus, so it was a perfect fit!

So far, my biggest takeaway, as we have not yet started analyzing the survey responses, is the surprising lack of information on the effects breastfeeding has on anxiety. Although there are more studies looking at the effects of depression and anxiety on breastfeeding practices, the opposite is not true, especially for anxiety. I feel passionately about fighting for accurate representation in medicine, and I think my research will contribute to representing women in that body of knowledge.

The largest challenge I faced has been difficulties in recruiting. Although I am very interested in my topic, I don’t have many personal connections to women who are breastfeeding. Our initial strategy to recruit individuals to take our survey was tabling at football games. At home football games, nursing students work with Tiny Tusks sets up a quiet space where women can pump and breastfeed. For several games in the Fall 2023 season, we distributed flyers with survey information at the check in table. This method of recruitment had a high participation rate, but the number of women using the space was far less than our stated participation goal. Ultimately, recruiting online in Facebook groups yielded the most responses, but also came with a lot of spam responses. The lack of research also proved to be a challenge. It has been difficult to find other studies to support my work. Instead of focusing on this, I have emphasized the importance of my topic by highlighting the gap in literature and using other studies that indirectly support my topic.

My mentor has been incredibly helpful in setting up my project. Dr. Scott has helped guide me through the IRB (Institutional Review Board) process, as well as all other formal processes, like grant documentation. Dr. Scott is also there to answer any of my questions in other areas like with writing and Qualtrics. Dr. Scott has also been integral to my data collection as she has an established relationship with Tiny Tusks.

Once we close the survey, I will begin analyzing the data we collected. When we close the survey, no more responses will be collected. I have already started writing my thesis, but I do not have all the necessary information to complete any sections that report on my research. Once the survey is closed, I will be able to incorporate my results and data analysis into my thesis. I am also hoping to submit my research for presentation in the spring or summer of 2024!