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Breastfeeding duration and childhood overweight among low-income children in Kansas, 1998-2002.

Procter SB, Holcomb CA

Kansas State University Research and Extension, Department of Human Nutrition, 204 Justin Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. procter@humec.ksu.edu

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether increased duration of breast-feeding was associated with decreased risk of overweight among 4-year-old children in Kansas families with limited means. METHODS: We linked data on Kansas families from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System and Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System, 1998 to 2002, to determine breastfeeding duration and weight status at age 4 years. Overweight among 4-year-old children was defined as body mass index-for-age at the 95th percentile and above. Linked analysis included 3692 children. Logistic regression was applied to determine odds of being overweight at each duration of breastfeeding. RESULTS: Breastfeeding duration considered independently showed a significant protective association with childhood overweight at age 4 years for all non-Hispanics (odds ratio [OR]=0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.55, 0.94) and for Whites only (OR=0.68; CI=0.50, 0.92). When we controlled for other significant risk factors for childhood overweight, the association diminished and was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Although breastfeeding for longer duration appeared to be protective against overweight among 4-year-old non-Hispanic children, cultural and environmental factors may override this protective benefit.

Published 27 December 2007 in Am J Public Health, 98(1): 106-10.
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