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Breastfeeding associated with higher lung function in African American youths with asthma
Sam S Oh1, Randal Du1,2, Andrew M Zeiger1
1a Department of Medicine , University of California San Francisco , San Francisco , CA , USA.
Insights
Breastfeeding is linked to improved lung function and fewer asthma attacks in African American children. Continued support for breastfeeding is recommended for better asthma outcomes in this population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Asthma Research
- Public Health and Nutrition
- Epidemiology
Background:
- African Americans and Puerto Ricans exhibit lower breastfeeding rates and poorer asthma outcomes compared to other groups.
- Asthma disproportionately affects minority populations, necessitating research into modifiable factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between breastfeeding and asthma-related clinical outcomes in Latino and African American youth.
- To determine if breastfeeding history impacts lung function (FEV1% predicted) and asthma exacerbations.
Main Methods:
- Case-only analyses were conducted within the GALA II and SAGE II studies.
- Participants included 8-21 year olds with asthma from African American, Mexican American, mixed/other Latino, and Puerto Rican groups.
- Multivariable linear and Poisson regressions assessed the link between breastfeeding and FEV1% predicted and asthma exacerbations, respectively.
Main Results:
- Breastfeeding prevalence was lower in African Americans (59.4%) and Puerto Ricans (54.9%) versus Mexican Americans (76.2%) and mixed/other Latinos (66.9%).
- Breastfeeding was associated with a 3.58% increase in FEV1% predicted (p=0.01) and a 21% reduction in asthma exacerbations (p=0.03) specifically in African American youth after adjusting for covariates.
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding demonstrated a significant positive association with improved lung function (FEV1% predicted) in African American youth with asthma.
- Breastfeeding was also linked to a reduced number of asthma exacerbations in this specific demographic.
- Findings underscore the importance of promoting breastfeeding for better asthma management and outcomes in African American children.
Objective:
In the United States, Puerto Ricans and African Americans have lower prevalence of breastfeeding and worse clinical outcomes for asthma compared with other racial/ethnic groups. We hypothesize that the history of breastfeeding is associated with increased forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) % predicted and reduced asthma exacerbations in Latino and African American youths with asthma.
Methods:
As part of the Genes-environments & Admixture in Latino Americans (GALA II) Study and the Study of African Americans, asthma, Genes & Environments (SAGE II), we conducted case-only analyses in children and adolescents aged 8-21 years with asthma from four different racial/ethnic groups: African Americans (n = 426), Mexican Americans (n = 424), mixed/other Latinos (n = 255), and Puerto Ricans (n = 629). We investigated the association between any breastfeeding in infancy and FEV1% predicted using multivariable linear regression; Poisson regression was used to determine the association between breastfeeding and asthma exacerbations.
Results:
Prevalence of breastfeeding was lower in African Americans (59.4%) and Puerto Ricans (54.9%) compared to Mexican Americans (76.2%) and mixed/other Latinos (66.9%; p < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, breastfeeding was associated with a 3.58% point increase in FEV1% predicted (p = 0.01) and a 21% reduction in asthma exacerbations (p = 0.03) in African Americans only.
Conclusion:
Breastfeeding was associated with higher FEV1% predicted in asthma and reduced number of asthma exacerbations in African American youths, calling attention to continued support for breastfeeding.
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