Korean J Women Health Nurs.  2021 Dec;27(4):368-378. 10.4069/kjwhn.2021.11.29.

Association between breastfeeding and breast, thyroid, and cervical cancer among Korean adult women based on the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study: a cohort study

• Jin E
• Kang H
• Son M

• KMID: 2524356
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2021.11.29

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between breastfeeding and the prevalence of breast, thyroid, and cervical cancer among Korean adult women.
Methods
The study was a secondary analysis of data from the Korea Genome and Epidemiology Study. The final samples were 113,944 Korean women among 173,205 urban-based cohort participants collected between 2004 and 2013 for adults aged forty and over. To determine the association between female cancers and breastfeeding experience, the number of childbirth, and total breastfeeding duration, logistic regression analysis was done. The demographic characteristics, health behavior, and female history were adjusted.
Results
The prevalence of breast cancer was 1.37 times higher in non-breastfeeding group than in breastfeeding group. Compared to having breastfed for more than 36 months, the prevalence of thyroid cancer was 1.68 times higher at breastfeeding for 13 to 36 months, 1.67 times higher at breastfeeding for 6 to 12 months, and 2.06 times higher at breastfeeding less than 6 months. Also, the prevalence of cervical cancer was 1.54 times higher at breastfeeding for 13 to 36 months compared to breastfeeding for more than 36 months.
Conclusion
The study provides that breastfeeding experience and the longer breastfeeding duration have reduced the risk of breast, thyroid, and cervical cancer in Korean women. It can be used as a basis for encouraging breastfeeding, which is identified to reduce the risk of breast, thyroid, and cervical cancers in Korean women.

Keyword

Breast feeding; Breast neoplasms; Thyroid neoplasms; Uterine cervical neoplasms

Figure

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  Figure 1. The relationship between total breastfeeding duration and breast, thyroid, and cervical cancer. *p<.05.

Reference

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