Breastfeeding, complementary feeding, overweight and obesity in pre-school children.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the association of overweight and obesity with breastfeeding and complementary feeding in pre-school children.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study with 566 children, enrolled in private schools of the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, in 2004-2005. The dependent variable was overweight and obesity. Body Mass Index percentile curves were employed to classify children's nutritional status, considering values > or =P85 and <P95 as overweight, and values > or =P95 as obesity. The following explanatory variables were analyzed: child and family socio-demographic characteristics; birth weight; parents' nutritional status; breastfeeding; complementary feeding; and current feeding. Analysis of association between explanatory variables and outcome was performed with simple logistic regression and multiple logistic regression with hierarchical model.


RESULTS
Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the population studied was 34.4%. The following were protective factors against overweight and obesity: exclusive breastfeeding for six months or more (95% CI [0.38;0.86]; OR=0.57; p=0.02) and breastfeeding for more than 24 months (95% CI [0.05;0.37]; OR=0.13; p=0.00).


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that breastfeeding can protect children against overweight and obesity, thus representing yet another advantage of maternal milk.
Simon
Viviane Gabriela Nascimento
VG
Programa de Pós-Doutorado em Saúde Pública, Departamento de Saúde Materno- Infantil, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Souza
José Maria Pacheco de
JM
Souza
Sonia Buongermino de
SB
D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012016:Reference Values; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors