Abstract
Background
American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest obesity prevalence in the United
States, but the influence of early childhood variables on body mass index (BMI; calculated
as kg/m2) is not well understood. Previous studies have investigated the association between
breastfeeding in infancy and offspring BMI, but rarely included American Indians and
Alaska Natives.
Objective
This study investigated the association between breastfeeding in infancy and BMI in
American Indians and Alaska Native and non-Hispanic white adolescents and young adults.
Design
Longitudinal analysis based on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent
to Adult Health (1994 to 2008).
Participants
Adolescent respondents who self-identified as American Indians and Alaska Native or
non-Hispanic white, and whose parents completed the parental questionnaire, reported
their height and weight. The final sample included 655 American Indians and Alaska
Native and 10,305 non-Hispanic white respondents.
Statistical analyses performed
Generalized estimating equations were used to measure the mean differences, 95% CIs,
and P values of the association between breastfeeding in infancy and offspring BMI in adolescence,
stratifying by race, and adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic variables.
Results
The length of breastfeeding was inversely associated with BMI in both populations.
American Indians and Alaska Natives that were breastfed for 6 to 12 months or for
more than 12 months had a mean BMI of 2.69 (95% CI −3.46 to −1.92; P<0.01) and 1.54 (95% CI −2.75 to −0.33; P<0.05) units lower than those that were never breastfed. Non-Hispanic whites that
were breastfed for 3 to 6 months, 6 to 12 months, or more than 12 months had a mean
BMI of 0.71 (95% CI −0.93 to −0.50; P<0.01), 0.68 (95% CI −0.87 to −0.50; P<0.01), and 0.85 (95% CI −1.09 to −0.62; P<0.01) units lower than those that were never breastfed. The association between the
length of breastfeeding and offspring BMI varied by race (P<0.01).
Conclusions
Breastfeeding in infancy is associated with lower mean BMI. Future research should
investigate causal pathways and whether interventions promoting breastfeeding in American
Indians and Alaska Natives can prevent increasing BMI.
Keywords
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Biography
A. Zamora-Kapoor is an assistant research professor, Initiative for Research and Education to Advance Community Health, Washington State University, Seattle, and an affiliate assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle.
Biography
A. Omidpanah is a biostatistician, Initiative for Research and Education to Advance Community Health, Washington State University, Seattle.
Biography
L. A. Nelson is an assistant professor, Initiative for Research and Education to Advance Community Health, Washington State University, Seattle.
Biography
R. Harris is a communications manager, Initiative for Research and Education to Advance Community Health, Washington State University, Seattle.
Biography
D. S. Buchwald is a professor and a director, Initiative for Research and Education to Advance Community Health, Washington State University, Seattle.
Biography
A. A. Kuo is an associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 10, 2017
Accepted:
November 17,
2016
Received:
October 23,
2015
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (T32 MH082709); and a research infrastructure grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R24 HD042828).
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
