Korean J Fam Pract.  2023 Sep;13(3):145-151. 10.21215/kjfp.2023.13.3.145.

Association of Breastfeeding Duration with Menopausal Age and Menstrual Period: Analysis based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2018

• Koh YS
• Kim DH
• Park JH
• Kim HJ
• Park Gh
• Kim HP
• Jo Sk

• KMID: 2546229
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2023.13.3.145

Abstract

Background
The association between lifetime breastfeeding duration and menopause age remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the menopause age and menstrual period according to lifetime breastfeeding duration in postmenopausal women using nationally representative survey data from Korea.
Methods
This study included 4,318 women with natural menopause who had participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2016–2018. Women with non-natural menopause, no history of breastfeeding, and significant missing variables were excluded. The lifetime breastfeeding duration was divided into 1–6 months, 6–12 months, 12–18 months, and ≥18 months. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the association.
Results
A statistically significant correlation was observed between lifetime breastfeeding duration and menopause age. In all models, as the breastfeeding duration increased, menopause age tended to rise significantly (P<0.01; P for trend <0.0001), as did menstrual period (P for trend <0.05).
Conclusion
Menopause age and the menopausal age and menstrual period increased significantly with an increase in the lifetime breastfeeding duration. Our findings suggest that the duration of breastfeeding is positively correlated with the time of exposure to endogenous estrogens. Therefore, breastfeeding may delay the onset of menopause.

Keyword

Breastfeeding; Menopause; Menstruation; Estrogens; Nutrition Surveys