Breastfeeding practices and chronic non-communicable diseases among mothers: comparing the 2013 and 2019 PNS

Barbosa, Lorena Pinheiro; Lima, Rayanne Branco dos Santos; Lima, Kamila Ferreira; Lima, Francisca Elisângela Teixeira; Oliveira, Bruno Luciano Carneiro Alves de; Dalcin, Camila Biazus; Gavine, Anna; McFadden, Alison

doi:10.1590/1413-812320253011.03922024

FREE THEME ARTICLE • Ciênc. saúde coletiva 30 (11) • Nov 2025 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-812320253011.03922024 linkcopy

Breastfeeding practices and chronic non-communicable diseases among mothers: comparing the 2013 and 2019 PNS

Práticas de aleitamento materno e doenças crônicas não transmissíveis entre mães: comparação da PNS 2013 e 2019

Prácticas de lactancia materna y enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles entre madres: comparación de las encuestas nacionales de salud de 2013 y 2019

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Aimed to assess the prevalence of breastfeeding in the last 24 hours among mothers of children under 2 years of age, categorizing them based on the presence or absence of non-communicable diseases. A cross-sectional study using data from the Brazilian National Health Survey in 2013 and 2019, which employed a probabilistic sample structure with cluster sampling . The analysis covered 1,586 and 2,064 child-mother pairs in 2013 and 2019, respectively. Estimates were made for the maternal population and the prevalence of socioeconomic, demographic and NCD variables. Significantly reduced breastfeeding rates were evident as the age of the child advanced in both years. In 2013, the prevalence decreased in the 12-24 month age group to 35.3%, while in 2019, it stood at 40.3%. There was no statistically significant disparity in the prevalence of breastfeeding between women with and without NCDs in each year surveyed, nor between the two years surveyed. Within the subset of women diagnosed with NCDs, there was a reduction in the prevalence of breastfeeding among children aged 12 to 24 months in 2013 (35%) and 2019 (39%). In addition, sociodemographic variables had a notable influence on breastfeeding practices among women.

Key words:
Breast feeding; Noncommunicable diseases; Mothers; Health care surveys

Variables	2013 (n = 1,586; N= 2,586151)			2019 (n = 2,064; N = 2,698,102)			Absolute change in the prevalence of breastfeeding 2013-2019
	N (%)	Breastfeeding		N (%)	Breastfeeding
		%	95%CI		%	95%CI
		%	95%CI		%	95%CI	%	95%CI
Age range (in years)
18 to 29	1,596,606 (61.7)	55.2	49.6; 60.8	1,306,224 (48.4)	56.3	51.6; 61.0	1.1	-6.1; 9.0
30 to 39	907,307 (35.1)	49.8	42.6; 56.9	1,210,085 (44.8)	50.7	44.9; 56.5	0.9	-7.6; 10.0
40 to 49	82,538 (3.2)	60.5	39.9; 81.1	181,793 (6.7)	53.9	35.6; 72.2	-6.4	-29.9; 25.0
Color/race
White	1,030,609 (39.9)	43.8	37.2; 50.4	906,955 (33.6)	50.2	43.7; 56.8	7.2	-2.4; 16.0
Non white	1,555,541 (60.1)	59.8	54.4; 65.2	1,791,147 (66.4)	55.3	50.8; 59.9	-4.5	-11.0; 3.0
Health insurance
Yes	712.125 (27.5)	45.0	37.0; 53.0	710,636 (26.3)	47.1	38.4; 55.8	2.1	-8.9; 14.0
No	1,874,025 (72.5)	56.7	51.7; 61.6	1,987,466 (73.7)	56.0	52.0; 60.0	0.7	-6.8; 6.0
Employment status
Employed	745,728 (29.2)	46.5	39.1; 51.9	1,015,980 (37.7)	43.0	36.9; 49.0	-3.5	-12.5; 6.0
Not employed	1,831,423 (70.8)	56.0	53.9; 61.4	1,682,122 (62.3)	60.1	55.5; 64.6	4.1	-3.1; 11.0
Education
Up to completed high school	1,205,103 (46.6)	58.6	52.7; 64.5	1,002,520 (37.2)	57.0	51.3; 62.6	-1.6	-9.2; 7.0
Incomplete higher education	1,090,276 (42.2)	47.4	40.6; 54.1	1,149,846 (42.6)	53.9	48.5; 59.4	6.5	-1.8; 16.0
Completed higher education	290,771 (11.2)	54.9	42.0; 67.7	545,736 (20.2)	46.8	37.3; 56.2	-8.1	-20.7; 7.0
Per capita household income quintile
1st Quintile (lowest)	422,965 (16.4)	65.5	56.5; 74.5	330,648 (12.3)	56.6	48.6; 64.2	8.9	-18.7; 2.0
2nd Quintile	459,793 (17.8)	62.8	53.7; 71.9	472,342 (17.5)	61.8	53.9; 69.7	-1.0	-11.5; 11.0
3rd Quintile	493,576 (19.1)	55.3	46.3; 64.2	502,496 (18.6)	55.9	49.0; 62.9	0.6	-10.2; 13.0
4th Quintile	622,354 (24.1)	42.5	33.6; 51.3	628,526 (23.3)	50.9	42.3; 59.4	8.4	-3.0; 22.0
5th Quintile (highest)	587,462 (22.7)	47.6	38.8; 56.4	764,090 (28.3)	48.1	39.6; 56.4	0.5	-10.8; 13.0
Macroregion of the country
North	236,251 (9.1)	70.5	63.4; 77.6	258,645 (9.6)	55.3	47.0; 63.2	-15.2	-22.4; -4.9
North East	740,713 (28.6)	56.8	49.4; 64.2	843,006 (31.2)	59.7	53.9, 65.5	2.9	-6.2; 13.0
Midwest	214,518 (8.3)	59.0	50.0; 68.1	251,742 (9.3)	58.2	50.1; 66.2	-0.8	-12.1; 12.0
Southeast	950,992 (36.8)	45.7	38.0; 53.4	961,395 (35.6)	48.9	40.8; 56.9	3.2	-7.8; 16.0
South	443,677 (17.2)	52.7	42.3; 63.2	383,314 (14.2)	48.1	39.5; 56.7	-4.6	-16.2; 9.0
Type of city
Capital or metropolitan area²	995,909 (38.5)	60.2	55.5; 64.9	1,026,774 (38.1)	54.0	48.3; 59.6	-6.2	-12.7; 1.0
Countryside	1,590,241 (61.5)	49.2	43.2; 55.2	1,671,328 (61.9)	53.4	48.4; 58.4	4.2	-3.6; 13.0
NCD
Yes	816,551 (31.6)	51.6	43.0; 60.1	1,140,412 (42.3)	54.7	49.0; 60.3	3.1	-6.8; 14.0
No	1,770,121 (68.4)	54.3	49.6; 59.0	1,557,690 (57.7)	52.8	48.0; 57.6	-1.5	-8.0; 6.0

Variables	NCD
	Yes						No
	Breastfeeding						Breastfeeding
	2013		2019		RP¹	95%CI	2013		2019		RP¹	95%CI
	%	95%CI	%	95%CI			%	95%CI	%	95%CI
Age range (in years)
18 to 29	50.6	38.3; 62.8	57.4	50.3; 64.5	1.00	---	56.9	51.0; 62.8	55.6	49.8; 61.4	1.00	---
30 to 39	52.7	39.6; 65.8	52.0	44.0; 60.1	0.99	0.86; 1.14	48.0	40.1; 55.8	49.6	41.8; 57.3	0.90	0.80; 1.02
40 to 49	51.9	22.7; 81.1	56.0	28.2; 83.7	1.09	0.77; 1.55	75.6	55.4; 95.8	51.2	28.9; 73.6	1.01	0.79; 1.29
Color/race
White	46.7	33.0; 60.5	51.6	42.3; 60.9	1.00	---	42.4	34.8; 50.0	49.2	40.8; 57.6	1.00	---
Non white	55.1	43.8; 66.3	56.3	49.4; 63.2	1.13	0.91; 1.39	61.9	55.9; 68.0	54.6	49.0; 60.3	1.28	1.11; 1.47
Health insurance
Yes	50.1	33.3; 66.9	53.6	42.4; 64.7	1.00	---	43.1	34.3; 51.8	40.4	29.2; 51.4	1.00	---
No	52.0	42.3; 61.8	55.2	48.7; 61.7	1.05	0.88; 1.26	59.0	53.7; 64.2	56.4	51.6; 61.5	1.38	1.10; 1.73
Employment status
Employed	45.1	30.2; 59.9	40.5	31.5; 49.5	0.78	0.65; 0.93	47.3	39.1; 55.5	44.8	36.8; 52.1	0.84	0.74; 0.96
Not employed	54.5	44.1; 64.9	63.2	56.2; 70.2	1.00	---	57.1	51.4; 62.8	57.8	52.7; 63.5	1.00	---
Education
Up to completed high school	55.8	44.8; 66.8	57.8	49.1; 66.5	1.00	---	59.8	53.1; 66.4	56.4	48.9; 63.9	1.00	---
Incomplete higher education	47.7	33.1; 62.3	56.5	47.7; 62.3	0.90	0.73; 1.11	47.2	40.0; 54.4	51.9	45.0; 58.8	0.85	0.76; 0.96
Completed higher education	49.8	28.6; 71.0	44.6	30.9; 58.3	0.80	0.65; 0.98	59.4	45.0; 73.8	48.3	36.4; 60.2	0.90	0.76; 1.06
Per capita household income quintile
1st Quintile (lowest)	67.3	48.7; 85.8	61.8	49.0; 74.6	1.00	---	64.6	54.1; 75.1	52.4	42.7; 62.1	1.00	---
2nd Quintile	56.7	36.1; 77.4	64.6	53.0; 76.1	0.97	0.79; 1.18	65.3	56.4; 74.2	59.9	49.1; 70.7	1.06	0.97; 1.16
3rd Quintile	46.1	29.6; 62.6	56.3	45.0; 67.6	0.80	0.67; 0.96	58.7	48.3; 69.0	55.7	46.6; 64.8	0.96	0.86; 1.06
4th Quintile	42.6	23.3; 61.9	49.3	36.0; 62.5	0.72	0.47; 1.10	42.4	33.4; 51.5	52.2	41.4; 63.1	0.82	0.71; 0.94
5th Quintile (highest)	49.9	32.8; 67.1	49.9	37.9; 61.9	0.75	0.59; 0.95	46.5	36.6; 56.4	46.7	36.3; 57.2	0.78	0.63; 0.98
Macroregion of the country
North	68.8	55.6; 82.1	60.9	50.3; 71.5	1.00	---	71.2	63.0; 79.5	52.0	42.0; 62.0	1.00	---
North East	50.8	34.1; 67.5	61.4	52.8; 70.0	0.93	0.84; 1.02	58.9	51.1; 66.6	58.5	50.8; 66.3	0.95	0.89; 1.00
Midwest	49.3	32.3; 66.3	49.7	36.9; 62.6	0.77	0.72; 0.83	62.6	51.8; 73.3	63.3	52.8; 73.8	1.03	0.99; 1.07
Southeast	47.7	32.0; 63.5	51.3	39.9; 62.8	0.80	0.61; 1.06	44.6	36.2; 53.1	46.8	36.5; 57.1	0.74	0.61; 0.89
South	52.8	34.9; 70.8	50.0	38.1; 61.9	0.80	0.69; 0.94	52.6	40.4; 64.8	46.4	35.7; 57.1	0.81	0.69; 0.94
Type of city
Capital or metropolitan area	61.0	52.7; 69.4	51.5	43.6; 59.4	1.01	0.85; 1.20	59.9	54.3; 65.4	55.7	48.9; 57.5	1.00	---
Countryside	46.5	34.6; 58.4	56.6	48.9; 64.3	1.00	---	50.6	44.0; 57.2	51.0	44.5; 62.6	1.15	1.04; 1.27

location_on

ABRASCO - Associação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva Av. Brasil, 4036 - sala 700 Manguinhos, 21040-361 Rio de Janeiro RJ - Brazil, Tel.: +55 21 3882-9153 / 3882-9151 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil
E-mail: cienciasaudecoletiva@fiocruz.br

rss_feed Stay informed of issues for this journal through your RSS reader

[TFN1] 95%CI: 95% confidence interval; ¹ Pearson’s chi-square test for differences between years; ² metropolitan region.

[TFN2] Source: Authors.