Advanced search
1 file | 498.19 KB Add to list

Associations between exclusive breastfeeding and physical fitness during childhood

(2018) EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION. 57(2). p.545-555
Author
Organization
Abstract
PURPOSE: Exposure to breastfeeding improves the survival, health, and development of children; therefore, breast milk is recommended as the exclusive nutrient source for feeding term infants during the first 6 months. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the possible association between exposure to exclusive breastfeeding and physical fitness performance in children and, if so, whether this association is influenced by the breastfeeding duration. METHODS: A total of 2853 (52.3 % girls) European children from the IDEFICS study aged 6-11 years with complete data on physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, balance, speed) and exclusive breastfeeding duration (never, 1-3, 4-6, 7-12 months) were included in the present study. Multivariate and mixed linear regression models were estimated and adjusted for sex, age, birth weight, diet, physical activity, body mass index, and parental factors (age, body mass index, educational attainment). RESULTS: We found a positive association between exclusive breastfeeding and lower-body explosive strength (β = 0.034) as well as flexibility (β = 0.028). We also found a positive association between breastfeeding and balance in boys (β = 0.039), while this association was negative in girls (β = -0.029). To improve lower-body explosive strength, 1-3 months of exclusive breastfeeding were enough; a longer duration did not lead to increasing benefit. In contrast, 4-6 months of breastfeeding were necessary to have any benefit on flexibility or balance, although this became nonsignificant after adjustment for body mass index and physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Exclusive breastfeeding seems a natural way of slightly improving some physical fitness components (mainly lower-body muscle strength) and thus future health.
Keywords
Flexibility, Exclusive breastfeeding, Children, Muscle strength, Balance, Physical fitness, CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, RISK-FACTORS, CHILDREN, IDEFICS, DISEASE, DURATION, OBESITY, HEALTH, GROWTH, ADOLESCENCE

Downloads

  • (...).pdf
    • full text
    • |
    • UGent only
    • |
    • PDF
    • |
    • 498.19 KB

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Zaqout, Mahmoud, et al. “Associations between Exclusive Breastfeeding and Physical Fitness during Childhood.” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, vol. 57, no. 2, 2018, pp. 545–55, doi:10.1007/s00394-016-1337-3.
APA
Zaqout, M., Michels, N., Ahrens, W., Börnhorst, C., Molnár, D., Moreno, L. A., … De Henauw, S. (2018). Associations between exclusive breastfeeding and physical fitness during childhood. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, 57(2), 545–555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1337-3
Chicago author-date
Zaqout, Mahmoud, Nathalie Michels, Wolfgang Ahrens, Claudia Börnhorst, Dénes Molnár, Luis A Moreno, Gabriele Eiben, et al. 2018. “Associations between Exclusive Breastfeeding and Physical Fitness during Childhood.” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION 57 (2): 545–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1337-3.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Zaqout, Mahmoud, Nathalie Michels, Wolfgang Ahrens, Claudia Börnhorst, Dénes Molnár, Luis A Moreno, Gabriele Eiben, Alfonso Siani, Stalo Papoutsou, Toomas Veidebaum, and Stefaan De Henauw. 2018. “Associations between Exclusive Breastfeeding and Physical Fitness during Childhood.” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION 57 (2): 545–555. doi:10.1007/s00394-016-1337-3.
Vancouver
1.
Zaqout M, Michels N, Ahrens W, Börnhorst C, Molnár D, Moreno LA, et al. Associations between exclusive breastfeeding and physical fitness during childhood. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION. 2018;57(2):545–55.
IEEE
[1]
M. Zaqout et al., “Associations between exclusive breastfeeding and physical fitness during childhood,” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 545–555, 2018.
@article{8135466,
  abstract     = {{PURPOSE: Exposure to breastfeeding improves the survival, health, and development of children; therefore, breast milk is recommended as the exclusive nutrient source for feeding term infants during the first 6 months. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the possible association between exposure to exclusive breastfeeding and physical fitness performance in children and, if so, whether this association is influenced by the breastfeeding duration.
METHODS: A total of 2853 (52.3 % girls) European children from the IDEFICS study aged 6-11 years with complete data on physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, balance, speed) and exclusive breastfeeding duration (never, 1-3, 4-6, 7-12 months) were included in the present study. Multivariate and mixed linear regression models were estimated and adjusted for sex, age, birth weight, diet, physical activity, body mass index, and parental factors (age, body mass index, educational attainment).
RESULTS: We found a positive association between exclusive breastfeeding and lower-body explosive strength (β = 0.034) as well as flexibility (β = 0.028). We also found a positive association between breastfeeding and balance in boys (β = 0.039), while this association was negative in girls (β = -0.029). To improve lower-body explosive strength, 1-3 months of exclusive breastfeeding were enough; a longer duration did not lead to increasing benefit. In contrast, 4-6 months of breastfeeding were necessary to have any benefit on flexibility or balance, although this became nonsignificant after adjustment for body mass index and physical activity.
CONCLUSIONS: Exclusive breastfeeding seems a natural way of slightly improving some physical fitness components (mainly lower-body muscle strength) and thus future health.}},
  author       = {{Zaqout, Mahmoud and Michels, Nathalie and Ahrens, Wolfgang and Börnhorst, Claudia and Molnár, Dénes and Moreno, Luis A and Eiben, Gabriele and Siani, Alfonso and Papoutsou, Stalo and Veidebaum, Toomas and De Henauw, Stefaan}},
  issn         = {{1436-6207}},
  journal      = {{EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION}},
  keywords     = {{Flexibility,Exclusive breastfeeding,Children,Muscle strength,Balance,Physical fitness,CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS,RISK-FACTORS,CHILDREN,IDEFICS,DISEASE,DURATION,OBESITY,HEALTH,GROWTH,ADOLESCENCE}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{545--555}},
  title        = {{Associations between exclusive breastfeeding and physical fitness during childhood}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1337-3}},
  volume       = {{57}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}

Altmetric
View in Altmetric
Web of Science
Times cited: