Beneficial Effects of Breastfeeding on the Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome Among Postmenopausal Women

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study aims to determine whether breastfeeding may have any beneficial effects onmetabolic syndrome in a cohort of postmenopausal Korean women. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional study with secondary data analysis was conducted using the cohort in theKorean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Data from 1,983 postmenopausal women were analyzed bylogistic regression analysis. Controlled covariates were chosen based on a biopsychosocial model andincluded age, family history of hypertension; type 2 diabetes mellitus; and cerebro-cardiovascular diseases,body mass index, age of menarche, parity, socioeconomic status of family, educational level, past orcurrent smoking experience, and current alcohol consumption experience. @*Results@#Breastfeeding experience and duration were not significantly associated with a decreasedlikelihood of metabolic syndrome among postmenopausal women. However, breastfeeding experience(adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.52 [p= .010]) and a total duration of breastfeeding exceeding3 months were significantly associated with decreased likelihood of abdominal obesity (3and < 6 months AOR 0.49 [p= .014]; 6 and < 12 months AOR 0.51 [p= .009]; <12 months AOR0.56 [p= .024]). @*Conclusion@#Our findings indicate that breastfeeding might have beneficial effects on reducing abdominalobesity in postmenopausal women. Health-care providers should publicize beneficial long-term effectsof breastfeeding on the prevention of abdominal obesity, a component of metabolic syndrome.