The effect of maternal obesity on initiation and duration of breast-feeding in Greece: the GENESIS study.
OBJECTIVE
The current paper aims to describe the characteristics of mothers failing to initiate breast-feeding, provide information on the factors contributing to longer duration of breast-feeding and identify the association of maternal obesity with both initiation and duration of breast-feeding in the Greek population.


METHODS
Data from the cross-sectional GENESIS (Growth, Exercise and Nutrition Epidemiological Study In preSchoolers) study were used. Mothers were categorized by their pre-pregnancy BMI and their gestational weight gain according to guidelines from the Institute of Medicine.


METHODS
Preschool children aged 1-5 years in five counties in Greece.


METHODS
Preschoolers (n 2374) with full maternal anthropometric data before and during pregnancy and breast-feeding data.


RESULTS
A higher percentage of mothers with increased pre-pregnancy BMI or high gestational weight gain failed to initiate breast-feeding compared with their normal-weight counterparts. Obese mothers were 2.86 times more likely to fail in initiating breast-feeding in a multiple logistic regression model. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that among women initiating breast-feeding, those who were either underweight before pregnancy or smoked at the third trimester of pregnancy breast-fed their children for about 1.5 weeks less than their normal-weight or non-smoking counterparts, respectively. Similarly, multiparous women breast-fed their children for about 7 weeks less than uniparous women. In women who initiated breast-feeding, no significant differences in breast-feeding duration were found between women of different gestational weight gains.


CONCLUSIONS
Mothers with high pre-pregnancy BMI are less likely to initiate breast-feeding while high gestational weight gain has no effect on either the initiation or duration of breast-feeding in Greece.
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Kallithea, Athens, Greece. manios@hua.gr
Yannis
Y
Manios
Evangelia
E
Grammatikaki
Katerina
K
Kondaki
Elina
E
Ioannou
Anastasia
A
Anastasiadou
Manolis
M
Birbilis
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008429:Maternal Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain