The Association Between Covariates, with Emphasis on Maternal Body Mass Index, and Duration of Exclusive and Total Breastfeeding

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between possible covariates, with emphasis on maternal body mass index (BMI), on exclusive breastfeeding and on total breastfeeding during the first postnatal year. Design: A longitudinal study encompassing 723 women who were followed during the first postnatal year Methods: Data concerning pregnancy, delivery, neonatal period, and breastfeeding were extracted from respective medical records. Sociodemographic data on the participants were self-reported. The Cox Proportional Hazard Model was used for investigating the effects of different covariates. Results: Compared with women with BMI <25.0, obese women ran a higher risk of ceasing exclusive breastfeeding prematurely (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.38, p  = 0.009). Multiparous women had a lower risk of ceasing the exclusive breastfeeding prematurely, than primiparous women (HR = 0.78, p  = 0.009). Concerning exclusive breastfeeding as well as total breastfeeding, the risk of prematurely ceasing the breastfeeding decreased with increasing age ( p  = 0.028 and p  ≤ 0.001, respectively). Median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was shorter among obese women compared with women with BMI <30.0 (3.0 months versus 6.0 months). Corresponding figures for total breastfeeding were 4.0 months versus 8.0 months. Concerning parity and exclusive breastfeeding, there was no difference in median duration between primiparous women and multiparous women (4.0 months), whereas multiparous women had a longer median duration of total breastfeeding, than primiparous women (8.0 months versus 7.0 months). Conclusion: The risk of ceasing exclusive breastfeeding prematurely is high among obese women. This result indicates the need for targeted supportive interventions, individualized according to BMI. With increasing age, the risk of ceasing breastfeeding prematurely decreases, and compared with primiparous women, multiparous women run a lower risk of ceasing exclusive breastfeeding prematurely.