Abstract
BackgroundThe impact of meat consumption on high blood pressure (HBP) and obesity in children and adolescents is a subject of debate. The aim of this study was thus to evaluate the association between meat consumption and both HBP and obesity in this group.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional analysis using nationally representative samples of children and adolescents aged 9, 12, and 15 years old (n = 136,739) who were included in the Korea School Health Examination Survey (KSHES) for the 2011–2015 period. Multiple linear and logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors influencing systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) levels, and to test the strength of these relationships.ResultsAdjusted for covariates, 6.3% of those subjects who consumed >5 servings of meat (including beef, pork, and chicken) per week were obese, compared with 9.1% of the subjects who consumed <1 serving of meat/wk (obesity adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21–1.70; P ≤0.001). Those who consumed <1 serving of meat/wk had an HBP prevalence of 8.2%, compared with 7.2% for subjects who consumed >5 servings of meat/wk (systolic HBP adjusted OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.05–1.62; P ≤0.01, diastolic HBP adjusted OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.02–1.54; P <0.05). Obese subjects were estimated to have a higher SBP (β = 7.497, P < 0.001) and DBP (β = 4.123, P <0.001) than subjects who had no excess weight. Compared to subjects who consumed >5 servings of meat/wk, those who consumed <3 servings of meat/wk had a higher SBP (β = 0.574, P <0.001) and DBP (β = 0.376, P = 0.003) after adjusting for BMI. The intake of milk, fruit, and vegetables was not associated with either SBP or DBP (P >0.05). In contrast, BMI was significantly associated with milk, fruits, and vegetables (P <0.01).ConclusionsAmong children and adolescents, a higher level of meat consumption was associated with lower SBP, DBP, and BMI, and greater height, suggesting that consuming an appropriate amount of meat is important for healthy growth at a young age.
Highlights
The impact of meat consumption on high blood pressure (HBP) and obesity in children and adolescents is a subject of debate
The weighted percentage of systolic and diastolic HBP in subjects with no excess weight (n = 116,475) and with obesity (n = 9,746) according to the frequency of meat consumption is shown in Fig. 1 by age
In our study involving 136,739 children and adolescents of 9, 12, and 15 years of age who participated in the Korea School Health Examination Survey from 2011 through 2015, a higher level of red meat and chicken consumption was associated with lower prevalence of HBP and obesity after adjusting for potential confounding variables
Summary
The impact of meat consumption on high blood pressure (HBP) and obesity in children and adolescents is a subject of debate. The prevalence of high blood pressure (HBP) and obesity in children and adolescents has increased in the past years [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Many studies have found that the consumption of red meat and processed meat is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease [17, 18]. The association between nutrition and cardiovascular health [27] and the impact of meat consumption on HBP and obesity in both adults and children remain subjects of debate [28]
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