Associations of Breastfeeding Duration and Reproductive Factors with Sarcopenia in Elderly Korean Women: A Cross-Sectional Study from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2011.

Background: Several studies have suggested that breastfeeding has a positive effect on long-term obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. This study aimed to examine maternal bone health, muscle mass, and obesity based on breastfeeding duration.

Methods: This study was based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2011. We selected 2,027 elderly women by screening survey participants with a history of delivery. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and obesity among four breastfeeding groups.

Results: The OR of sarcopenia significantly decreased with increasing breastfeeding duration (OR, 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.65; P for trend <0.001), whereas the OR of obesity significantly increased with increasing breastfeeding duration (OR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.43-4.60; P for trend=0.009) after adjusting for potential confounding variables. We also found a positive correlation between the duration since last delivery and sarcopenia.

Conclusion: Our results suggest a negative correlation between prolonged breastfeeding and the prevalence of sarcopenia, and a positive correlation between prolonged breastfeeding and the prevalence of obesity. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between breastfeeding and sarcopenia in the future.