Abstract
BackgroundDyslipidemia during childhood has been associated with higher risk of atherosclerosis later in life. Information on the lipid profile of Ghanaian children is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the lipid profiles of school children between the ages of 9–15 years, living in urban Ghana.MethodsA total of 802 randomly selected school-age children participated in the Ghana School Survey implemented in Kumasi and Accra, Ghana. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on child and maternal socio-demographic characteristics (including age, education, and occupation), 7-day food frequency, home and school activity, as well as measurement of weight and standing height. Weight, height, and age data were converted into BMI-for-age indices to determine weight status. Finger-prick fasting blood samples were taken from the school-age children. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) cholesterol levels were determined using the CardioChek® PA Test System. Reference lipid levels based on the US National Cholesterol Education Program 2001 guidelines were used to determine the proportion of children with dyslipidemia.ResultsThe mean TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG levels were 149.0 ± 57.0 mg/dl, 80.1 ± 38.6 mg/dl, 53.5 ± 19.4 mg/dl, and 71.4 ± 54.7 mg/dl, respectively. Mean TC/HDL-C ratio was 3.0 ± 1.0. The proportion of children with abnormal values were 12.1% for TC, 4.5% for TG, 28.4% for HDL-C, 9.2% for LDL-C, and 6.6% for TC/HDL-C ratio. The levels of dyslipidemia (HDL, LDL, and TC/HDL-C ratio) were higher among overweight/obese compared to normal-weight children. More frequent fruit consumption was also linked with lower LDL-C (p = 0.020) while watching television (TV) in the mornings was linked with both higher TC (p = 0.011) and TG (p = 0.006).ConclusionsMajority of urban-dwelling Ghanaian school children had normal lipid profiles. However, the higher levels of dyslipidemia observed among overweight and obese children suggest the need for population level physical activity and dietary interventions among children to reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases in adult life.
Highlights
Dyslipidemia during childhood has been associated with higher risk of atherosclerosis later in life
The study population included 802 school children between the ages of 9–15 years who were recruited between December 2009 and February 2012 from 121 schools located in Accra and Kumasi, the two largest cities in Ghana
To obtain the sub-sample that was used in the present study, each overweight or obese child who was recruited was matched with a child of normal Body Mass Index (BMI) of the same age and sex
Summary
Dyslipidemia during childhood has been associated with higher risk of atherosclerosis later in life. The aim of this study was to assess the lipid profiles of school children between the ages of 9–15 years, living in urban Ghana. Available evidence indicates that atherosclerosis, the process that subsequently leads to CVD, starts in childhood and progresses gradually into adulthood. The Bogalusa Heart Study and the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) Research, both conducted in the United States of America, showed that high concentrations of low density lipoprotein. Lartey et al BMC Public Health (2018) 18:320 cholesterol (LDL-C) and low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in children and youth were associated with higher risk of atherosclerosis later in life [7, 8]. It is important that efforts to reduce CVD should start during childhood
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