Breastfeeding and overweight/obesity among children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are major public health crises among children and adolescents and contribute to a significant economic burden. We aimed to investigate the relationship between breastfeeding duration and overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in Qingdao, China in 2017. METHODS: This study conducted a survey with 10,753 students (5370 boys and 5383 girls) aged 6 to 16 years from the Shibei District of Qingdao, China in 2017. Anthropometric measurements were taken by well-trained personnel and self-completed questionnaires were used to collect data from students. A variety of statistical methods were used in this study, including univariate and multivariate analyses, as well as linear and nonlinear regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 15.45% and 19.76%, respectively. There was a significant negative correlation between breastfeeding duration and BMI in children and adolescents (β = -0.025, 95% CI: -0.033, -0.005, P < 0.01). Among boys, the BMI in children and adolescences of those who have been breastfed for more than 12 months was significantly lower than that of others whose breastfeeding duration was less than 12 months (β = -0.440, 95%CI -0.655, -0.224, P < 0.01). Breastfeeding has a particularly positive effect on the prevalence of obesity in boys aged 9 to 11 years (OR = 0.978, 95% CI: 0.958,0.999, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Breastfeeding can significantly reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 years. Those who were breastfed for more than 12 months had a lower risk of developing overweight and obesity, especially boys between the ages of 9 and 11. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-022-03394-z.