Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2012

Open Access 01-12-2012 | Research article

The relationship between breastfeeding and weight status in a national sample of Australian children and adolescents

Authors: Jane A Scott, Su Y Ng, Lynne Cobiac

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2012

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Breastfeeding has been shown consistently in observational studies to be protective of overweight and obesity in later life. This study aimed to investigate the association between breastfeeding duration and weight status in a national sample of Australian children and adolescents.

Methods

A secondary analysis of the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey data involving 2066, males and females aged 9 to 16 years from all Australian states and territories. The effect of breastfeeding duration on weight status was estimated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Compared to those who were never breastfed, children breastfed for ≥6 months were significantly less likely to be overweight (adjusted odds ratio: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.45, 0.91) or obese (adjusted odds ratio: 0.51, 95%CI: 0.29, 0.90) in later childhood, after adjustment for maternal characteristics (age, education and ethnicity) and children's age, gender, mean energy intake, level of moderate and vigorous physical activity, screen time and sleep duration.

Conclusions

Breastfeeding for 6 or more months appears to be protective against later overweight and obesity in this population of Australian children. The beneficial short-term health outcomes of breastfeeding for the infant are well recognised and this study provides further observational evidence of a potential long-term health outcome and additional justification for the continued support and promotion of breastfeeding to six months and beyond.
Literature
1.
Wang Y, Monteiro C, Popkin B: Trends of obesity and underweight in older children and adolescents in the United States, Brazil, China and Russia. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002, 75 (6): 971-977.PubMed
2.
Booth M, Chey T, Wake M, Norton K, Hesketh KD, Dollman J, Robertson I: Changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among young Australians, 1969-1997. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003, 77: 29-36.PubMed
3.
Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Preventative Health National Research Flagship, the University of South Australia: 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey: Main findings. 2008, Commonwealth of Australia
4.
Arenz S, Ruckerl R, Koletzko B, von Kries R: Breast-feeding and childhood obesity- a systematic review. Int J Obes. 2004, 28 (10): 1247-1256. 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802758.CrossRef
5.
Horta BL, Bahl R, Martines JC, Victora CG: Evidence on the long-term effects of breastfeeding. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis. 2007, Geneva: World Health Organization
6.
Ip S, Chung M, Raman G, Chew P, Magila N, DeVine D, Trikalinos T, Lau J: Breastfeeding and maternal and child health outcomes in developed countries. AHRQ Publication No 07-E007. 2007, Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
7.
Harder T, Bergmann R, Kallischnigg G, Plagemann A: Duration of breastfeeding and risk of overweight: a meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 2005, 162 (5): 397-403. 10.1093/aje/kwi222.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Kramer MS, Matush L, Vanilovich I, Platt RW, Bogdanovich N, Sevkovskaya Z, Dzikovich I, Shishko G, Collet J-P, Martin RM, et al: Effects of prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding on child height, weight, adiposity, and blood pressure at age 6.5 y: evidence from a large randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007, 86 (6): 1717-1721.PubMed
9.
Anzman SL, Rollins BY, Birch LL: Parental influence on children's early eating environments and obesity risk: implications for prevention. Int J Obes. 2010, 34 (7): 1116-1124. 10.1038/ijo.2010.43.CrossRef
10.
Oken E: Maternal and Child Obesity: The Causal Link. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2009, 36 (2): 361-377. 10.1016/j.ogc.2009.03.007.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Monasta L, Batty GD, Cattaneo A, Lutje V, Ronfani L, Van Lenthe FJ, Brug J: Early-life determinants of overweight and obesity: a review of systematic reviews. Obes Rev. 2010, 11: 695-708. 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2010.00735.x.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Swinburn B, Shelly A: Effects of TV time and other sedentary pursuits. Int J Obes. 2008, 32 (S7): S132-S136.CrossRef
13.
Must A, Parisi SM: Sedentary behavior and sleep: paradoxical effects in association with childhood obesity. Int J Obes. 2009, 33 (S1): S82-S86.CrossRef
14.
Shields L, O'Callaghan M, Williams G, Najman J, Bor W: Breastfeeding and obesity at 14 years: A cohort study. J Paediatr Child Health. 2006, 42 (5): 289-296. 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2006.00864.x.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Chivers P, Hands B, Parker H, Bulsara M, Beilin LJ, Kendall GE, Oddy WH: Body mass index, adiposity rebound and early feeding in a longitudinal cohort (Raine Study). Int J Obes. 2010, 34 (7): 1169-1176. 10.1038/ijo.2010.61.CrossRef
16.
Burke V, Beilin L, Simmer K, Oddy W, Blake K, Doherty D, Kendall G, Newnham J, Landau L, Stanley F: Breastfeeding and Overweight: Longitudinal Analysis in an Australian Birth Cohort. J Pediatr. 2005, 147 (1): 56-61. 10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.03.038.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Ridley K, Olds T, Hill A: The Multimedia activity recall for children and adolescents (MARCA): development and evaluation. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Activ. 2006, 3 (1): 10-10.1186/1479-5868-3-10.CrossRef
18.
Cole TJ, Bellizzi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH: Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ. 2000, 320 (7244): 1240-1245. 10.1136/bmj.320.7244.1240.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
19.
Department of Health and Ageing: Australia's physical activity recommendations for 12-18 years old. 2004, Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia
20.
Buyken AE, Karaolis-Danckert N, Günther A, Kersting M: Effects of breastfeeding on health outcomes in childhood: beyond dose-response relations. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008, 87 (6): 1964-1965.PubMed
21.
Amir L, Donath S: A systematic review of maternal obesity and breastfeeding intention, initiation and duration. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2007, 7: 9-10.1186/1471-2393-7-9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
22.
Horta BL, Victora CG, Menezes AM, Barros FC: Environmental tobacco smoke and breastfeeding duration. Am J Epidemiol. 1997, 146 (2): 128-133.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Li R, Scanlon K, Serdula M: The validity and reliability of maternal recall of breastfeeding practice. Nutr Rev. 2005, 63 (4): 103-110. 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2005.tb00128.x.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Amir L, Donath S: Socioeconomic status and rates of breastfeeding in Australia: evidence from three recent national health surveys. MJA. 2008, 189 (5): 254-256.PubMed
25.
Robinson S, Godfrey K: Feeding practices in pregnancy and infancy: relationship with the development of overweight and obesity in childhood. Int J Obes. 2008, 32: S4-S10.CrossRef
26.
Bartok CJ, Ventura AK: Mechanisms underlying the association between breastfeeding and obesity. Int J Pediat Obes. 2009, 4 (4): 196-204. 10.3109/17477160902763309.CrossRef
27.
Li R, Fein SB, Grummer-Strawn LM: Do infants fed from bottles lack self-regulation of milk intake compared with directly breastfed infants?. Pediatrics. 2010, 125 (6): e1386-e1393. 10.1542/peds.2009-2549.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Lucas A, Sarson D, Blackburn A, Adrian T, Anysley-Green A, Bloom S: Breast vs. bottle: endocrine responses are different with formula feeding. Lancet. 1980, 1: 1267-1269.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
The relationship between breastfeeding and weight status in a national sample of Australian children and adolescents
Authors
Jane A Scott
Su Y Ng
Lynne Cobiac
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-107

Other articles of this Issue 1/2012

BMC Public Health 1/2012 Go to the issue

Research article

A community-based participatory approach and engagement process creates culturally appropriate and community informed pandemic plans after the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic: remote and isolated First Nations communities of sub-arctic Ontario, Canada

Research article

Long-term health consequences of violence exposure in adolescence: a 26–year prospective study

Research article

Revisiting current “barefoot doctors” in border areas of China: system of services, financial issue and clinical practice prior to introducing integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI)

Research article

Education-based health inequalities in 18,000 Norwegian couples: the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT)

Research article

Who stays, who drops out? Biosocial predictors of longer-term adherence in participants attending an exercise referral scheme in the UK

Research article

Local decision makers’ awareness of the social determinants of health in Turkey: a cross-sectional study