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Meta-Analysis
. 2014 Dec 13:14:1267.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-1267.

The association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity: a meta-analysis

Jing Yan, Lin Liu, Yun Zhu, Guowei Huang  1 , Peizhong Peter Wang
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity: a meta-analysis

Jing Yan et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The increase in childhood obesity is a serious public health concern. Several studies have indicated that breastfed children have a lower risk of childhood obesity than those who were not breastfed, while other studies have provided conflicting evidence. The objective of this meta-analysis was to investigate the association between breastfeeding and the risk of childhood obesity.

Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE and CINAHL Plus with Full Text databases were systematically searched from start date to 1st August 2014. Based on the meta-analysis, pooled adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. I2 statistic was used to evaluate the between-study heterogeneity. Funnel plots and Fail-safe N were used to assess publication bias and reliability of results, and results from both Egger test and Begg test were reported.

Results: Twenty-five studies with a total of 226,508 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The studies' publication dates ranged from 1997 to 2014, and they examined the population of 12 countries. Results showed that breastfeeding was associated with a significantly reduced risk of obesity in children (AOR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.81). Categorical analysis of 17 studies revealed a dose-response effect between breastfeeding duration and reduced risk of childhood obesity.

Conclusion: Results of our meta-analysis suggest that breastfeeding is a significant protective factor against obesity in children.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of literature search and selection process a . aPlease contact the corresponding author for detailed search strategy. bThe study did not focus on childhood obesity, breastfeeding, or the relationship between breastfeeding and childhood obesity. The study provided incomplete data. cThe study provided incomplete data. The weight was not expressed as BMI.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of the associations between breastfeeding (never & ever) and obesity in all 25 studies. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot of the associations between breastfeeding (never & ever) and obesity in 16 studies. Unadjusted odds ratios (UOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Funnel plot of standard error by log odds ratio for meta-analysis of studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Pre-publication history
    1. The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/1267/prepub

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