HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2006.101683v1 98/1/106    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Procter, S. B. Articles by Holcomb, C. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Procter, S. B. Articles by Holcomb, C. A. Related Collections Obesity, Overweight, Underweight Other Maternal and Infant Health Nutrition/Food

Sandra B. Procter, PhD, RD and Carol Ann Holcomb, PhD, CHES

Sandra B. Procter is with Kansas State University Research and Extension, Department of Human Nutrition, Kansas State University, Manhattan. Carol Ann Holcomb is with the Department of Human Nutrition and the interdepartmental Master of Public Health program, Kansas State University, Manhattan.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Sandra B. Procter, PhD, RD, K-State Research and Extension, Department of Human Nutrition, 204 Justin Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 (e-mail: procter{at}humec.ksu.edu).

Objectives. We sought to determine whether increased duration of breast-feeding was associated with decreased risk of overweight among 4-year-old children in Kansas families with limited means.

Methods. We linked data on Kansas families from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System and Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System, 1998 to 2002, to determine breastfeeding duration and weight status at age 4 years. Overweight among 4-year-old children was defined as body mass index–for-age at the 95th percentile and above. Linked analysis included 3692 children. Logistic regression was applied to determine odds of being overweight at each duration of breastfeeding.

Results. Breastfeeding duration considered independently showed a significant protective association with childhood overweight at age 4 years for all non-Hispanics (odds ratio [OR]=0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.55, 0.94) and for Whites only (OR=0.68; CI=0.50, 0.92). When we controlled for other significant risk factors for childhood overweight, the association diminished and was not statistically significant.

Conclusions. Although breastfeeding for longer duration appeared to be protective against overweight among 4-year-old non-Hispanic children, cultural and environmental factors may override this protective benefit.