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Breastfeeding, overweight status, and inflammation
Julie Skalamera Olson1, Mark D Hayward1
1University of Texas at Austin, United States.
Insights
Breastfeeding in infancy is linked to lower inflammation in adulthood, partly mediated by maintaining a healthy weight throughout adolescence and young adulthood. This highlights breastfeeding
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Breastfeeding offers numerous infant and child health benefits, including mitigating long-term inflammation.
- Inflammation in early adulthood is associated with various chronic health conditions.
- Understanding the pathways linking early life exposures to adult health is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between breastfeeding in infancy and inflammation in early adulthood.
- To examine the mediating role of overweight status from adolescence into young adulthood in this association.
- To explore the life course dynamics of overweight status and inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health).
- Employed structural equation modeling with pathway analyses.
- Investigated direct and indirect pathways linking breastfeeding, overweight status, and inflammation.
Main Results:
- A direct association was found between breastfeeding and lower inflammation in early adulthood.
- Overweight status during adolescence and young adulthood partially mediated the link between breastfeeding and inflammation.
- The influence of overweight status on inflammation was evident through both proximal timing and a cascading life course process starting in adolescence.
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding is associated with reduced inflammation in early adulthood, with overweight status acting as a significant mediator.
- The findings underscore the importance of addressing overweight status across the life course, beginning in adolescence, to mitigate inflammation.
- This research emphasizes viewing breastfeeding, overweight status, and inflammation as interconnected life course processes influencing health inequalities.
Abstract:
Research documents a host of health benefits of breastfeeding for infants and children, including long-term health conditions arising from inflammation. Here, we provide new evidence about this association, focusing on the link between breastfeeding in infancy and inflammation in early adulthood. Our study is based on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) which allows us investigate a potentially important mediating pathway - overweight status from early adolescence into young adulthood. Results from pathway analyses in a structural equation modeling framework indicate that, in addition to a direct pathway linking breastfeeding and inflammation, an indirect pathway through overweight status across adolescence into young adulthood partially explains the association between breastfeeding and inflammation. Overweight status, moreover, links breastfeeding to inflammation not only through proximal timing of overweight status, but also through an indirect cascading process of overweight status over the life course that is evident in adolescence. Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering breastfeeding, overweight status and inflammation as dynamic life course processes that contribute to development of health inequalities.