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. 2025 Mar;20(3):e13205.
doi: 10.1111/ijpo.13205. Epub 2025 Jan 21.

Interaction between breastfeeding duration and an obesity genetic risk score to predict body fat composition in European adolescents: The HELENA study

Georgios K Baxevanis  1   2 , Iris Iglesia  2   3   4 , Miguel Seral-Cortes  2   3   5 , Sergio Sabroso-Lasa  6   7   8 , Paloma Flores-Barrantes  2   3 , Frédéric Gottrand  9 , Aline Meirhaeghe  10 , Anthony Kafatos  11 , Kurt Widhalm  12 , Nele Hockamp  13 , Dénes Molnár  14 , Ascensión Marcos  15 , Esther Nova  15 , Marcela González-Gross  5   16 , Eva Gesteiro  16 , Ángel Gutiérrez  17 , Yannis Manios  1   18 , Costas A Anastasiou  1 , Gerardo Rodríguez  2   3   4   19 , Luis A Moreno  2   3   5 ; HELENA Study Group
Affiliations

Interaction between breastfeeding duration and an obesity genetic risk score to predict body fat composition in European adolescents: The HELENA study

Georgios K Baxevanis et al. Pediatr Obes. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Although the genetic interplay with the environment has a major impact on obesity development, little is known on whether breastfeeding could modulate the genetic predisposition to obesity.

Objectives: To investigate whether breastfeeding attenuates the effect of an obesity genetic risk score (GRS) on adiposity in European adolescents.

Methods: Totally 751 adolescents from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) cross-sectional study were included, divided according to breastfeeding status into never breastfed, 1-3 months and ≥4 months. Adjusting by socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors multiple linear regression models were used to assess (1) the main effect of breastfeeding duration and (2) its interaction effect with an obesity GRS, to predict different adiposity measures.

Results: A significant negative association between ≥4 months of breastfeeding and waist circumference (WC) z-score was observed [β (95% confidence interval), p-value] = [β = -0.189 (-0.37, -0.00), p = 0.044]. Also, significant interaction effects were observed for 1-3 and ≥4 months of breastfeeding and obesity GRS regarding body mass index (BMI) z-score [β = 0.155 (0.06, 0.24), p = 0.001] and [β = 0.108 (0.01, 0.18), p = 0.020, respectively] and fat mass index (FMI) z-score [β = 0.134 (0.04, 0.22), p = 0.003] and [β = 0.100 (0.01, 0.18), p = 0.026, respectively].

Conclusions: Breastfeeding modulates the association between the obesity GRS and body composition in adolescents.

Keywords: HELENA; adolescents; breastfeeding; genetic risk score; interaction effect; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. The content of this article reflects the authors' views alone, and the European Community is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow chart of the study sample selection. SES, socioeconomic status; BMI, body mass index; FMI, fat mass index; WC, waist circumference.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Interaction model between breastfeeding duration and obesity GRS for z‐BMI (2A), z‐FMI (2B) and z‐WC (2C). Model adjusted by FAS, DQI and MVPA. X axis: beta coefficients of obesity GRS; Y axis: unstandardized predicted values of adiposity indices in z‐scores. Coloured lines represent different breastfeeding duration categories: Never Breastfed (blue), 1–3 months (green), ≥4 months (fuchsia). Crossed lines suggest breastfeeding x GRS effect. Z‐BMI, body mass index z‐score; z‐FMI, fat mass index z‐score; z‐WC, waist circumference z‐score; GRS, genetic risk score; FAS, family affluence scale; DQI, Diet Quality Index; MVPA, Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Mean z‐BMI (3A), z‐FMI (3B) and z‐WC (3C) across breastfeeding categories according to genetic risk, adjusted by FAS, DQI and MVPA. Significant mean differences are presented as p < 0.05* and p < 0.001**. X axis: Mean low and high genetic risk; Y axis: mean adiposity indices in z‐scores. Colour intensity of bars represents different breastfeeding duration categories: Never Breastfed (light grey), 1–3 months (grey) and ≥4 months (black). Z‐BMI, body mass index z‐score; z‐FMI, fat mass index z‐score; z‐WC, waist circumference z‐score; GRS, genetic risk score; FAS, family affluence scale; DQI, Diet Quality Index; MVPA, Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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