Prolonged breastfeeding and hypertension risk among Kenyan women: exploring the roles of obesity and alcohol consumption

Background: Breastfeeding is known to have positive child health outcomes. However, little is known about its effects on physical health outcomes for mothers. Given that hypertension remains a significant public health concern in Kenya, it is imperative to understand whether breastfeeding has some protective effects for mothers. This study investigates the association between breastfeeding duration and hypertension risk while considering the moderating effects of overweight/obesity and alcohol consumption.

Methods: We relied on 2022 Kenya demographic and health survey data. A total sample of 5314 was analyzed. Prevalence rates of hypertension were assessed across different breastfeeding durations, and both unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were calculated to evaluate the risk of hypertension. Interaction effects between breastfeeding duration, overweight/obesity status, and alcohol consumption were also analyzed with predictive margins.

Results: Overall, the prevalence of hypertension in the sample was 8.7% (95% CI: 7.7-9.9). After adjusting for confounders, women who breastfed for 12-24 months (AOR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.43-0.84) and for more than 24 months (AOR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.45-0.80) were at lower odds of being hypertensive. Despite the increased risk of hypertension among overweight or obese women and those who consumed alcohol, the predictive margins did not show a significant moderating effect of these factors on the association between breastfeeding duration and hypertension in this study.

Conclusion: Our study suggests that prolonged breastfeeding may have a protective effect against hypertension among parous women. This protective effect of longer breastfeeding durations remains relatively stable across
different obesity and alcohol consumption statuses. It is essential for the Kenyan Ministry of Health to intensify its breastfeeding awareness. Health providers at antenatal and postnatal care centers must emphasize the
protective effects of prolonged breastfeeding on physical health outcomes.