Prevalence of overweight and obesity in infants and their association with breastfeeding practices

Document Type

Article

Department

Paediatrics and Child Health

Abstract

Objective: To find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to examine their association with breastfeeding practices among infants aged 9-12 months.
Study design: A prospective cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from March to August 2022.
Methodology: A total of 211 infants aged 9-12 months were included using non-probability consecutive sampling. Sociodemographic data, breastfeeding practices, and dietary diversity were recorded through a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were obtained. According to the WHO growth standards, weight-for-height z-scores were computed; scores above +2 standard deviations were categorised as overweight, while scores above +3 standard deviations were classified as obesity. Logistic regression was used to examine the link between breastfeeding practices and overweight/obesity, adjusting for confounders.
Results: Overweight and obesity were observed in 23 (10.9%) of infants. Overweight and obesity were more prevalent in infants receiving non-exclusive breastfeeding, with 22 out of 120 (18.3%) affected, compared to only 1 out of 91 (1.1%) among exclusively breastfed infants (p < 0.001). Logistic regression showed that exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a 96% reduction in the odds of excess weight (aOR = 0.04; 95% CI: 0.01-0.31; p = 0.002). Other variables, including maternal BMI, birth order, and dietary diversity, were not significantly associated.
Conclusion: Non-exclusive breastfeeding practice was found to be a significant contributing factor for overweight and obesity in infants. Promoting exclusive breastfeeding could be an effective strategy to reduce early childhood obesity.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan

DOI

10.29271/jcpsp.2026.08.1028

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