Association between sociodemographic characteristics and age stopped breastfeeding on early childhood weight status

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Public Health
• Childhood Obesity Research

Background:

• Breastfeeding is recognized for its health benefits, yet the specific impact of its duration on child weight status requires further investigation.
• Existing epidemiological data suggest a link between breastfeeding and child weight, but the nuances related to cessation age are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between the age breastfeeding was stopped and child weight status.
• To explore how this association differs across various sociodemographic characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 3248 U.S. children aged 2-6 years (2009-2018) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
• Objective measurements of child height and weight, coupled with parent-reported breastfeeding cessation age and demographic data.
• Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to analyze the relationship between breastfeeding duration and child weight status, controlling for confounders.

Main Results:

• Children breastfed for 11 months or less had significantly higher odds of being overweight and obese compared to those breastfed for 11-24 months.
• The strongest association was observed for obesity in children breastfed for ≤11 months (OR=2.12).
• Racial and ethnic differences were noted; for instance, Hispanic children breastfed ≤11 months showed increased odds of obesity (OR=1.98).

Conclusions:

• Child weight status, including overweight and obesity, is associated with the age breastfeeding cessation.
• Shorter breastfeeding durations (≤11 months) are linked to a greater likelihood of children being overweight or obese.
• The findings underscore the importance of breastfeeding duration in the context of childhood weight management and highlight potential disparities across different demographic groups.