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Satiety responsiveness and eating behavior among Chilean adolescents and the role of breastfeeding

International Journal of Obesity volume 38, pages 552–557 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective:

To determine patterns of satiety responsiveness and its relationship to eating in the absence of hunger (EAH), in a cohort of adolescents. We also assessed whether sex, body mass index and duration of breastfeeding, during infancy, predicted satiety responsiveness and eating behavior at 16 years.

Methods:

Adolescents (n=576) from a longitudinal cohort, which began as an iron deficiency anemia preventive trial, participated in an unlimited breakfast after an overnight fast, and reported satiety response on a visual analog scale after the meal, followed by an EAH procedure. Height, weight and body composition were measured before breakfast. Latent profile analysis generated profiles that captured individual differences in satiety responsiveness. Multivariable regressions, adjusted for potential confounders, evaluated the association between: (1) satiety responsiveness and EAH, and (2) breastfeeding in infancy, satiety responsiveness and EAH in adolescence.

Results:

Participants were on average 16.7-year old, 48% female, 37% overweight/obese and 76% were breastfed as the sole source of milk for <6 months. We found three latent profiles of satiety responsiveness: 1: ‘responsive’ (49%); 2: ‘not responsive’ (41%); 3: ‘still hungry’ (10%). Participants in the ‘not responsive’ or ‘still hungry’ profile were more likely to eat during the EAH procedure (odds ratio (OR)=2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.8–3.6). Being breastfed for <6 months was related to higher odds of being in the ‘not responsive’ or ‘still hungry’ profile (OR=1.8, 95% CI=1.2–2.6) and EAH (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.4–3.3). Satiety responsiveness was not influenced by sex and overweight/obesity.

Conclusion:

After an ad libitum meal, we found varied satiety responses, which related to EAH. Furthermore, shorter breastfeeding duration was associated with poorer satiety response and higher consumption during an EAH procedure. Understanding if breastfeeding influences the development of satiety responsiveness and eating behavior may be important in an era characterized by abundant calorie-dense foods and a plethora of environmental cues promoting consumption.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all participants and their families for their trust and ongoing participation. We also thank the research and health professionals who have worked on the different aspects of the longitudinal project over the last 21 years. This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL088530, PI: Gahagan), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD14122, PI: Lozoff, and HD33487, PI: Lozoff and Gahagan) and the National Center of Minority Health and Health Disparities supported the participation of Vanessa Hoyos (Grant # 5-T32-MD-0001425-15, administered by the Center for Human Growth and Development of the University of Michigan).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health Nutrition, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

    M Reyes, M Castillo & R Burrows

  2. School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    V Hoyos

  3. Division of Child Development and Community Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

    S M Martinez, E Blanco & S Gahagan

  4. Division of General Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    S M Martinez

  5. Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    B Lozoff & S Gahagan

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  1. M Reyes
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Correspondence to M Reyes.

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Reyes, M., Hoyos, V., Martinez, S. et al. Satiety responsiveness and eating behavior among Chilean adolescents and the role of breastfeeding. Int J Obes 38, 552–557 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.191

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