Breastfeeding, consumption of ultraprocessed foods, and gut microbiota: relationships with body weight gain and asthma in childhood

• Grant number: 24/18709-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 29, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Epidemiology
• Principal Investigator: Marly Augusto Cardoso
• Grantee: Lucas Damasio Faggiani
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The early years of life are crucial for the development of health and disease, with diet being one of the main influences during this period. Breastfeeding is widely recommended, while the consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPF) has been associated with early weaning. Gut microbiota, which mediates early exposures and health outcomes, is influenced by breastfeeding practices and complementary feeding in childhood. Obesity and asthma are serious global public health issues. The aim of this project is to investigate the effects of breastfeeding and UPF consumption on gut microbiota in the first two years of life and their impact on weight gain trajectories and the occurrence of asthma by age 5 in the MINA-Brasil Study, a population-based birth cohort in an Amazonian municipality. The study population will be stratified into four groups based on a combined variable of breastfeeding and UPF consumption during the first year of life, with data obtained through a 24-hour dietary recall on a usual day. Gut microbiota data (16S rRNA) will be analyzed in each group according to alpha and beta diversities and taxonomy of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). Weight gain trajectories will be analyzed using multiple mixed-effects linear regression models with z-score data over the five years of life. Factors associated with the occurrence of asthma at age 5, assessed using the validated ISAAC questionnaire, will be analyzed using multiple logistic or Poisson regression models. Statistical analyses will be conducted using R-4.4.1 and Stata 16.0 or higher.