title: Feeding practices in early life and later intake of fruit and vegetables among Japanese toddlers: the Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A growing body of evidence from Western countries shows that infant feeding practices are associated with later childhood dietary habits, but little is known about these relationships in non-Western countries with different food cultures. We examined the association of breast-feeding duration and age at introduction of solid foods with later intake of fruit and vegetables among Japanese toddlers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on breast-feeding duration, age at introduction of solid foods and child's intake frequency of fruit and vegetables were collected with a self-administered questionnaire at 16-24 months postpartum. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios of low intake (<1 time/d) of fruit or vegetables for each infant feeding practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Japanese mother-child pairs (n 763) from a prospective birth cohort study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither breast-feeding duration nor age at introduction of solid foods was associated with fruit intake at 16-24 months of age. Breast-feeding duration, but not age at introduction of solid foods, was associated with later intake of vegetables. When breast-feeding duration was categorized into two groups with the cut-off at 6 months, children who were breast-fed for ≥6 months had a significantly decreased risk of low intake of vegetables (OR=0·53; 95% CI 0·34, 0·84) than those breast-fed for <6 months. This association was independent of potential confounders including maternal education and maternal vegetable intake (OR=0·59; 95% CI 0·36, 0·97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding suggests that ≥6 months of breast-feeding may prevent low intake of vegetables in early childhood among Japanese toddlers.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health Promotion,National Institute of Public Health,2-3-6 Minami,Wako-shi,Saitama 351-0197,Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine,Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine,Ehime,Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology,School of Public Health,University of Tokyo,Tokyo,Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine,Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine,Ehime,Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: 4Clinical Epidemiology Research Center,Medical Co.,LTA,Fukuoka,Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirota
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007225:Infant Food; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: Breast-feeding; Fruit and vegetable intake; Infant nutrition