Dataset Information

Does breastfeeding help to reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity? A propensity score analysis of data from the KiGGS study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Current studies suggest that the beneficial effect of breastfeeding on overweight and obesity may have been largely overestimated. We examined the relationship between >4 months of full breastfeeding and overweight/obesity in children living in Germany.

Methods

We analyzed retrospectively collected data on breastfeeding from children aged 3-17 years who participated in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS baseline study) between 2003 and 2006 (n = 13163). To minimize confounding, we applied propensity score matching and multivariate logistic regression analyses to estimate the effect of breastfeeding on childhood overweight and obesity.

Results

Adjusted analyses of the matched dataset (n = 8034) indicated that children who were breastfed for >4 months had a significant reduction in the odds of overweight (OR 0.81 [95% CI 0.71–0.92]) and obesity (OR 0.75 [95% CI 0.61–0.92]) compared to children who were not breastfed or who were breastfed for a shorter duration [corrected].Further analyses stratified by age group showed that the association was strongest in children aged 7-10 years (OR 0.67 [95% CI 0.53-0.84] for overweight and OR 0.56 [95% CI 0.39-0.81] for obesity), while no significant effect could be seen in other age groups.

Discussion

Our findings support the hypothesis that breastfeeding does have a beneficial effect on childhood overweight and obesity, although the effect seems to be strongest in children of primary school age.

SUBMITTER: Grube MM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4374721 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Does breastfeeding help to reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity? A propensity score analysis of data from the KiGGS study.

Grube Maike Miriam MM von der Lippe Elena E Schlaud Martin M Brettschneider Anna-Kristin AK

PloS one 20150326 3

<h4>Background</h4>Current studies suggest that the beneficial effect of breastfeeding on overweight and obesity may have been largely overestimated. We examined the relationship between >4 months of full breastfeeding and overweight/obesity in children living in Germany.<h4>Methods</h4>We analyzed retrospectively collected data on breastfeeding from children aged 3-17 years who participated in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS baseline study) ...[more]

PMID: 25811831

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Project description:IMPORTANCE:Potential effects of breast feeding on children's behaviour remains an elusive debate given inherent methodological challenges. Propensity score matching affords benefits by ensuring greater equivalence on observable social and health determinants, helping to reduce bias between groups. OBJECTIVES:We examined whether the duration of breast feeding had an impact on children's externalising and internalising behaviours. STUDY DESIGN:A cohort study (Encuesta Longitudinal de la Primera Infancia cohort) that included 3037 Chilean families who were enrolled in 2010. Follow-up data was collected in 2012. SETTING:General community. PARTICIPANTS:Population-based sample. Eligibility criteria: children born full-term with complete data on matching variables. Matching variables included: healthcare system as a proxy of income, presence of a partner/spouse in the household, maternal age, educational level, IQ, working status, type of work, diagnosis of prenatal depression by a healthcare professional, smoking during pregnancy, delivery type, child sex, weight at birth, incubation following delivery, and child age. EXPOSURE:Duration of breast feeding. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:Externalising and internalising problems assessed using the Child Behaviour Checklist. RESULTS:Matched results revealed benefits of any breast feeding, up to 6 months, on emotional reactivity and somatic complaints (mean difference of -1.00, 95% CI, -1.84 to -0.16 and -1.02, 95% CI, -1.76 to -0.28, respectively). Children breast fed between 7 and 12 months also had reduced scores on emotional reactivity, in addition to attention problems (mean difference of -0.86, 95% CI, -1.66 to -0.06 and -0.50, 95% CI, -0.93 to -0.07, respectively). No benefits were observed for children breast fed 13 months or more. CONCLUSION:Reduced internalising difficulties and inattention were found in children breast fed up to a year, suggesting that breast feeding may have beneficial impacts on these areas of development. The magnitude of effect was modest. Extended durations of breast feeding did not appear to offer any benefits.

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Dataset Information

Does breastfeeding help to reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity? A propensity score analysis of data from the KiGGS study.

Background

Methods

Results

Discussion

Publications

Does breastfeeding help to reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity? A propensity score analysis of data from the KiGGS study.

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