Association of Childbirth and Breastfeeding with Diabetes Mellitus in Korean Women

Abstract

Objectives: Childbirth and breastfeeding have very important impacts on the mother and fetus. In addition to the reproductive implications, these factors are known to influence chronic diseases in women, such as diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to identify the relationship between childbirth, breastfeeding and prevalence of diabetes in Korean women. Methods: This study was performed a cross-sectional analysis of data for 8,803 women aged 20 years and older who participated in the 8th (2019-2021) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Childbirth was measured by childbirth experience and parity, and breastfeeding was measured by breastfeeding experience and breastfeeding duration, and the relationships to diabetes were tested by controlling for sociodemographic characteristics (Model 1), health behaviors (Model 2), and health status (Model 3). Statistical analysis were conducted using chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: In the final model, childbirth experience and parity were not significantly associated with diabetes. The odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval, CI) for diabetes was 0.77 (0.57-1.02) for women who had breastfed compared to women who had never breastfed, and the OR (95% CI) for duration of breastfeeding was 0.82 (0.58-1.02), 0.70 (0.50-0.99), 0.90 (0.62-1.30), and 0.66 (0.46-0.94) for 1-11, 12-23, 24-35, and 36 months or more compared to never breastfeeding, respectively. Conclusions: We found a positive association between breastfeeding and diabetes in Korean women, but not childbirth. It is necessary to emphasize the importance and significance of breastfeeding for prevention and management of diabetes.