Breast-feeding and overweight in Singapore school children

Abstract

Background: Studies from developed Western countries have shown inconsistent associations between breast-feeding and overweight/obesity in children and adolescents. Few data are available from Asian populations. The purpose of the present study was therefore to evaluate the association between breast-feeding and overweight/obesity in a study of 10-12-year-old children in Singapore. Methods: A total of 797 school children (49% girls, 76% Chinese) who participated in the Singapore Cohort Study of the Risk Factors for Myopia (SCORM) were examined. Overweight/obesity (n = 179) was defined as age-sex-specific body mass index (BMI) cut-offs corresponding to BMI of 25 kg/m2 for overweight and 30 kg/m2 for obesity at age 18 based on the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) reference. Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 22.5%. Overall, breast-feeding was not found to be associated with overweight/obesity. After adjusting for potential confounders, the multivariable odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of overweight/obesity was 1.14 (0.80-1.63) for ever breast-fed compared with never breast-fed, 1.00 (0.57-1.72) for breast-fed for >3 months compared to ≤3 months and 0.79 (0.47-1.34) for exclusive/mostly breast-fed compared to partly breast-fed. Conclusions: No significant associations were detected among breast-feeding, its type, and duration with overweight/obesity in this Asian cohort of 10-12-year-old children. © 2009 Japan Pediatric Society.