OVERWEIGHT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH DURATION OF BREASTFEEDING IN PRESCHOOLERS

INTRODUCAO: a obesidade vem aumentando, de forma expressiva, em criancas e adolescentes. O aleitamento materno tem sido relacionado como fator preventivo de muitas doencas e, nos ultimos anos, tem sido verificado seu papel de protecao contra a obesidade na infânciaOBJETIVO: verificar a prevalencia de excesso de peso e sua relacao com o aleitamento materno em criancas de 48 a 60 mesesMETODO: estudo transversal, no qual foram coletados dados antropometricos de criancas de 48 a 60 meses, de escolas de Municipio de Minas Gerais, MG, para calculo de indice de massa corporea (IMC) e classificacao nutricional. Foram coletados, tambem, dados sobre a duracao do aleitamento materno e alimentacao atual da crianca, alem de variaveis demograficas e socioeconomicas. Excesso de peso foi considerado variavel desfecho. A variavel explanatoria principal foi o aleitamento materno e as variaveis de controle foram alimentacao atual e as variaveis demograficas e socioeconomicas. A relacao entre o desfecho e as variaveis explanatorias foi verificada por meio de regressao de PoissonRESULTADOS: a prevalencia de criancas com excesso de peso foi de 9,6%. O aleitamento materno exclusivo (AME) ate os 6 meses ou mais foi oferecido a 32,11% das criancas. O estudo aponta uma relacao positiva entre a presenca de AME e a ausencia de excesso de peso em criancas de 48 a 60 meses para a categoria de AME por 6 meses ou mais. Relacao semelhante nao foi encontrada para o aleitamento materno complementadoCONCLUSAO: A prevalencia do excesso peso das criancas do estudo (9,6%) foi superior a media nacional (7%). O aleitamento materno exclusivo por 6 meses ou mais associou-se a ausencia de excesso de peso e o aleitamento materno complementado nao apresentou associacao com o peso das criancas.(AU) INTRODUCTION: obesity is increasing significantly, even in children and adolescents. Breastfeeding has been implicated as a preventive factor of many diseases and in recent years the protective role of breastfeeding against childhood obesity has been observed OBJECTIVE: to investigate the prevalence of overweight and its relationship with breastfeeding in children aged 48-60 months METHODS: across-sectional study was conducted involving collection of anthropometric data of children aged 48-60 months from public schools of a city located in Minas Gerais-MG, Brazil, for calculation of body mass index (BMI) and nutritional classification. Data on breastfeeding duration and current feeding were also collected, as well as demographic and socioeconomic variables. Overweight was considered the outcome variable. The main explanatory variable was breastfeeding while the control variables were current feeding and demographic and socioeconomic variables. The relationship between the outcome and explanatory variables was assessed using Poisson regression RESULTS: the prevalence of overweight children was 9.6%. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for upto 6 months or loger was given to 32.11% of children. The study showed a positive relationship between the presence of EBF and absence of overweight in children aged 48-60 months for the category EBF for 6 months or longer. A similar relationship was not found for complemented breastfeeding CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of overweight children in the study (9.6%) was higher than the national average (7%). Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was associated with absence of overweight and complemented breastfeeding was not associated with childrenu0027s weight.(AU)