Date of Award

January 2012

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Department

School of Public Health

First Advisor

Rafael Perez-Escamilla

Abstract

Background:your words Weight gained during pregnancy and not lost postpartum has been identified as a contributor to increased obesity risk among women of childbearing age.

Objective: To determine the influence of "any" and exclusive breastfeeding duration on postpartum weight retention (PPWR).

Design: Women were selected from the longitudinal Infant Feeding Practices Study II (IFPS II) . All women who reported both their pre-pregnancy weight and at least one postpartum weight were included in the analyses. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to examine the association between "any" and exclusive breastfeeding duration and PPWR at 3 (n=2254), 6 (n=1966), 9 (n= 1824), and 12 (n=1693) months postpartum. Models were controlled for pre-pregnancy BMI, maternal age, parity, poverty level, education, and prenatal smoking status.

Results: Results indicate that breastfeeding is associated with PPWR. "Any" breastfeeding for between 3-4 and 4-5 months was associated with an increased odds of retaining above median PPWR at 12 months postpartum (OR: 1.99, 95%, CI: 1.21, 3.24; OR: 1.83, 95% CI; 1.01-3.29). By contrast, exclusive breastfeeding was associated with decreased odds of retaining above median PPWR at 6 months (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.98). Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months was also associated with significantly decreased odds of retaining above median PPWR at 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum.

Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months was associated with decreased odds of retaining above median PPWR.

Comments

This is an Open Access Thesis.

Open Access

This Article is Open Access

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