Prepregnancy obesity and breastfeeding noninitiation in the United States: an examination of racial and ethnic differences

• Published in: Breastfeeding medicine Vol. 10; no. 5; p. 253
• Main Authors: Masho, Saba W, Cha, Susan, Morris, Michelle R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.2015
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Breast Feeding - ethnology; Breast Feeding - psychology; Ethnic Groups; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Infant, Newborn; Obesity - complications; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - psychology; Pregnancy; Risk Assessment; United States - epidemiology; United States
• DOI: 10.1089/bfm.2015.0006

Prepregnancy overweight/obesity can adversely affect breastfeeding initiation, but studies examining this association among different racial/ethnic groups of U.S. women are limited. This study used a large, nationally representative sample to assess racial/ethnic differences in breastfeeding noninitiation among U.S. women of different body mass index (BMI) classifications. This study analyzed data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, including 95,141 women who delivered a live, singleton baby from 2009 to 2011 and provided BMI and breastfeeding information. Prepregnancy BMI was categorized as underweight (<18.5 kg/m(2)), normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m(2)), and obese (≥30.0 kg/m(2)). Breastfeeding initiation was reported as having ever breastfed after delivery (yes or no). Adjusted models, which included only potential confounders resulting in a 10% or greater change in estimate, generated adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for breastfeeding noninitiation. Analysis was stratified by race/ethnicity. Compared with normal weight non-Hispanic white women, the odds of breastfeeding noninitiation were 17% and 25% higher among overweight (AOR=1.17, 95% CI=1.07-1.29) and obese (AOR=1.25, 95% CI=1.14-1.36) non-Hispanic white women, respectively. Among non-Hispanic black women, the odds of breastfeeding noninitiation were 29% higher only in obese women compared with normal weight non-Hispanic black women. No association was observed among Hispanic women or women of other races. Prepregnancy BMI is a significant predictor for breastfeeding noninitiation for non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black women. Further exploration of the differences underlying the association between prepregnancy BMI and breastfeeding behaviors among racial subpopulations of women in the United States is warranted.