Relationship between serum cholesterol and body mass index in Nigeria schoolchildren aged 2-15 years.

Abstract

Non-communicable disease is becoming a public health problem that it is already present in more affluent countries. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and total serum cholesterol with its lipoprotein fractions in children aged 2-15 years. Serum cholesterol was estimated using the enzymatic spectrophotometer cholesterol oxidase/peroxidase method. BMI was calculated as weight (kg)/height (m(2)). Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein were positively co-related with BMI (p < 0.05). Using linear regression, equations that can be used to predict serum total cholesterol from known BMI values were developed. There is a positive correlation between BMI and serum cholesterol. BMI which is non-invasive is recommended as a screening tool for cardiovascular risk in settings where serum cholesterol cannot be routinely estimated.