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The association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity: a meta-analysis

Jing Yan, Lin Liu, Yun Zhu

  • 1Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St, John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3 V6, Canada. huangguowei@tmu.edu.cn.

BMC Public Health
|December 16, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding significantly lowers the risk of childhood obesity, according to a meta-analysis. This protective effect shows a dose-response relationship with breastfeeding duration, highlighting its public health importance.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Childhood obesity presents a significant public health challenge.
  • Evidence on the link between breastfeeding and reduced childhood obesity risk is conflicting.
  • This meta-analysis aimed to clarify the association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a meta-analysis investigating the association between breastfeeding and the risk of childhood obesity.
  • To synthesize evidence from multiple studies to provide a robust conclusion on this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL Plus databases up to August 1, 2014.
  • Pooled adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) calculated for meta-analysis.
  • Heterogeneity assessed using I2 statistic; publication bias evaluated using funnel plots and Fail-safe N, with Egger and Begg tests reported.

Main Results:

  • Included 25 studies with 226,508 participants, published between 1997 and 2014, across 12 countries.
  • Breastfeeding was associated with a significantly reduced risk of childhood obesity (AOR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.81).
  • Analysis of 17 studies indicated a dose-response effect, where longer breastfeeding duration correlated with a lower obesity risk.

Conclusions:

  • Breastfeeding is a significant protective factor against childhood obesity.
  • The findings support breastfeeding as a key strategy in preventing childhood obesity.
Abstract

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