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Breastfeeding Is Associated With Reduced Obesity in Hispanic 2- to 5-Year-Olds Served by WIC
Shannon E Whaley1, Maria Koleilat2, Stephanie Leonard3
1Division of Research and Evaluation, Public Health Foundation Enterprises Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, Irwindale, CA.
Insights
Breastfeeding significantly reduces childhood obesity risk in Hispanic WIC participants. Promoting breastfeeding can help lower obesity rates in early childhood.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern, particularly in vulnerable populations.
- The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) serves a large demographic, including many Hispanic families.
- Understanding the role of infant feeding practices in obesity development is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between breastfeeding and the likelihood of childhood obesity.
- To analyze the impact of breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity on obesity risk.
- To examine these relationships within a large, predominantly Hispanic WIC population.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 39,801 infants enrolled in a California WIC program (2004-2007) was observed until age 5.
- Infant feeding was categorized as fully breastfed, fully formula-fed, or combination-fed.
- Logistic regression models assessed obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile) at ages 2-5, controlling for covariates.
Main Results:
- Infants exclusively formula-fed at birth had significantly higher odds of obesity compared to fully breastfed infants.
- Each additional month of any breastfeeding decreased obesity risk by 1%; each month of full breastfeeding reduced risk by 3%.
- Ethnicity, language preference, family size, poverty, and maternal BMI were also significant predictors of obesity risk.
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding appears to play a protective role against early childhood obesity in Hispanic children.
- WIC programs' breastfeeding promotion and support initiatives may be instrumental in mitigating childhood obesity rates.
- Further research and enhanced support for breastfeeding are warranted to address this public health issue.
Objective:
To examine the relationship between breastfeeding (BF) and odds of childhood obesity in a large, primarily Hispanic Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) population.
Setting:
A large urban WIC program in California.
Participants:
Infants enrolled in WIC born between 2004 and 2007 and observed to age 5 years (N = 39,801; 88.6% Hispanic).
Intervention:
Level of BF: fully BF, fully formula feeding, or combination feeding.
Main Outcome Measure:
Obesity at age 2-5 years, measured by body mass index (BMI) ≥ 95th percentile.
Analysis:
Logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association between initiation, duration, and exclusivity of BF and odds of obesity at age 2-5 years, controlling for ethnicity, preferred language, family size, poverty level, and maternal BMI.
Results:
Infants exclusively formula fed at birth were significantly more likely than fully breastfed infants to be obese at age 2-5 years (χ2 [2, N = 39,801] = 123.31; P < .001). For every additional month of any BF, obesity risk at age 2-5 years decreased by 1%. Every additional month of full BF conferred a 3% decrease in obesity risk. Ethnicity, preferred language, family size, poverty level, and maternal BMI were also significantly related to obesity risk.
Conclusions And Implications:
Breastfeeding may have a role in the attenuation of obesity in early childhood among Hispanic children. The BF promotion and support offered at WIC may have a significant role in reducing rates of early childhood obesity.
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