Lactation among adolescent mothers and subsequent bone mineral density
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of breastfeeding during adolescence with bone mineral density (BMD) during young adulthood.
METHODS: Secondary analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey conducted from 1988 through 1994, was performed. The BMDs for 5 regions of the proximal femur as measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry were compared for 5 groups of women aged 20 to 25 years (n = 819); the groups included those who had been: (1) adolescent mothers and had breastfed (n = 94), (2) adolescent mothers and had not breastfed (n = 151), (3) mothers who first gave birth as adults and breastfed (n = 67), (4) mothers who first gave birth as adults and had not breastfed (n = 89), and (5) nulliparous (n = 418). SUDAAN software was used to account for the complex sampling design of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Adjusted mean differences in BMD were estimated using least-squares linear regression.
RESULTS: During young adulthood, women who breastfed during adolescence had higher adjusted BMDs, which was statistically significant in 4 of the 5 regions, than those who had not breastfed (total proximal femur area difference, 0.049 gm/cm(2) [95% confidence interval, 0.002-0.095]) and BMDs equivalent to nulliparous women (total proximal femur area difference, 0.024 gm/cm(2) [95% confidence interval, -0.023 to 0.071]). Adjusting also for obstetric variables, women who…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 819 participants or records.
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