Breastfeeding and overweight in school-aged children <b>[Abstract in English]</b>

Abstract

AIMS: To analyze the association of breastfeeding and the risk of overweight and obesity in school-aged children. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with 125 children, aged 5 to 10 years old, enrolled in a primary health care center in Lisbon. Height and weight were measured during routine consultation. Other variables– breastfeeding duration, birth weight, lifestyle factors, smoking habits during pregnancy, mother nutritional state and education – were collected based on questionnaires completed by parents. Overweight and obesity were defined as body mass index equal or above the 85th percentile based on the 2000 Center for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. Association between breastfeeding and overweight and obesity was performed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 23.2%. Among the 125 children, 28.8% were breastfed for six or more months and 25.6% were never breastfed. Inadequate diet, insufficient physical activity and mother´s overweight were identified as risk factors for children´s overweight and obesity. A dose­response effect was identified between the duration of breastfeeding and the risk of overweight and obesity. After adjusting for confounding variables, breastfeeding for at least six months remained a significant protective factor against the development of overweight (odds ratio: 0.016; 95% confidence interval: 0.001-0.67) CONCLUSIONS: In this study, prolonged breastfeeding was associated with a reduced risk of overweight and obesity in school-aged children. These results emphasize the importance of breastfeeding on the risk of childhood obesity.