Effect of Breastfeeding and Its Duration on Impaired Fasting Glucose and Diabetes in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2010-2019.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of maternal breastfeeding on the subsequent risk of diabetes in parous Korean women aged >50 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 14,433 participants from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were included. The subjects were divided into three groups normal, impaired fasting glucose, and diabetes. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and diabetes were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 2301 (15.94%) women were classified as having diabetes, and 3670 (25.43%) women were classified as having impaired fasting glucose. Breastfeeding was associated with an OR for diabetes of 0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61, 0.95) compared with non-breastfeeding after adjustment for possible confounders in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Breastfeeding for 13-24 months was associated with an OR of 0.68 (95% CI, 0.5, 0.91), and breastfeeding for 25-36 months was associated with an OR of 0.68 (95% CI, 0.52, 0.87) for diabetes compared with breastfeeding for <1 month in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that long-term breastfeeding, particularly breastfeeding for 13-36 months, may be associated with a lower risk for diabetes later in life.