Abstract
Data about metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children is limited in China. We aimed to assess the prevalence of MetS related components, and their association with obesity. Data were collected as part of a representative study on MetS among 19593 children, aged 6–18 years old in Beijing. General obesity was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and central obesity by waist circumference. Finger capillary blood tests were used to assess triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Vein blood samples were collected from a subsample of 3814 children aged 10–18 years to classify MetS. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation 2007 definition. The associations between MetS related components and the degree and type of obesity were tested using logistic regression models. The prevalence of overweight, obesity, high blood pressure, elevated TG, TC and IFG were13.6%, 5.8%, 8.5%, 8.8%, 1.2% and 2.5%, respectively. Compared with normal weight children, overweight and obese children were more likely to have other MetS related components. In the subsample of 3814 children aged 10–18 years, the prevalence of MetS was much higher in obese subjects than in their normal weight counterparts (27.6% vs. 0.2%). Children with both general and central obesity had the highest prevalence of MetS. Compared with normal weight children, overweight and obese children were more likely to have MetS (overweight: OR = 67.33, 95%CI = 21.32–212.61; obesity: OR = 249.99, 95% CI = 79.51–785.98). Prevalence of MetS related components has reached high level among Beijing children who were overweight or obese. The association between metabolic disorders and obesity was strong.
Highlights
Childhood obesity has become a worldwide public health concern [1,2]
TG, total cholesterol (TC) and fasting blood glucose were tested based on fasting finger capillary blood. aOverweight and obesity were diagnosed based on International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) body mass index (BMI) cutoffs. bDiagnosed by systolic and/or diastolic (K4) blood pressure $90th percentile for age and sex from the blood pressure reference standards for Chinese children and adolescents
High-normal was defined as systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure $90th,95th percentile; hypertension $95th percentile for age and gender. cElevated TG was diagnosed as TG$1.7 mmol/L. dElevated TC was diagnosed as TC$5.2 mmol/L. eIFG was diagnosed as glucose $5.6 mmol/L
Summary
Adverse health and psychosocial consequences of childhood obesity are observed in many western populations. They include elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, which are components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Studies show MetS is strongly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in adults [3,4]. Different definitions of MetS are used for children, available data show an increase of MetS in children and adolescents in western populations. If any, reported the prevalence of MetS and examine its association with childhood obesity in Asian populations. To provide evidence for intervention and reduce the mortality due to CVD globally, it is critical to document and understand the linkage of childhood obesity to MetS across different populations
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