Breastfeeding attenuates the effect of low birthweight on abdominal adiposity in adolescents: the HELENA study.
The aim of this study was to examine whether breastfeeding may reduce the programming effect of birthweight on abdominal adiposity. Abdominal (in three regions: R1, R2 and R3) adiposity was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in 314 adolescents. Breastfeeding duration, birthweight, duration of gestation and maternal educational level were obtained from questionnaire. Physical activity was objectively measured. We detected significant interactions between breastfeeding and birthweight on abdominal adiposity (Ps = 0.02-0.07). We observed that birthweight was associated with abdominal adiposity in the group who had never been breastfed (β = -0.19 to -0.23; Ps < 0.05), while no association was found in adolescents who had breastfeeding for ≥3 months (β = -0.03 to -0.07). The results were independent of duration of gestation, age, sex, maternal educational level and physical activity. Breastfeeding may reduce the adverse influence conferred by low birthweight on abdominal adiposity in adolescents.
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Vitoria, Spain.
Idoia
I
Labayen
Department of Physical Education and Sport, School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.|Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at NOVUM, Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
Francisco B
FB
Ortega
Department of Physical Education and Sport, School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.|Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at NOVUM, Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
Jonatan R
JR
Ruiz
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zaragoza, HCU Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain.
Gerardo
G
Rodriguez
Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.|Department of Physical Education, School of Education, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Spain.
David
D
Jiménez-Pavón
MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, UK.
Vanesa
V
España-Romero
Division of Nutrition and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Kurt
K
Widhalm
EA 2694, Nutrition Department, University Lille Nord de France, Lille, France.
Frédéric
F
Gottrand
Department of Physiotherapy and Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.|Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Luis A
LA
Moreno
D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D011181:Postnatal Care; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
abdominal adiposity; birthweight; breastfeeding; infant feeding; programming