title: Prevalence of fatty liver in Japanese children and relationship to obesity. An epidemiological ultrasonographic survey.
abstract: The prevalence of fatty liver in children is unknown and its relationship to obesity is poorly defined. The present study of 810 northern Japanese children (4-12 years old) determined the prevalence of fatty liver in the pediatric population and its relationship to obesity. Diagnosis of fatty liver was based on established real-time ultrasonographic criteria. The overall prevalence of fatty liver was 2.6% and was higher for boys (3.4%) than for girls (1.8%), although not statistically significant (P = 0.15). Fatty liver was found in children as young as 6 years of age. There was no significant association between the prevalence of fatty liver and height (physical growth). There was a strong positive correlation between fatty liver prevalence and established obesity indices: Rohrer's Index--chi 2 linear trend = 59.2, P < 0.0001; body mass index--chi 2 linear trend = 91.6, P < 0.0001; and age-gender-adjusted Japanese standard index of weight for height--chi 2 linear trend = 93.2, P < 0.0001. However, direct measurement of abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness by ultrasonography was the best predictor of fatty liver: chi 2 linear trend = 159, P < 0.0001. These results indicate that fatty liver may develop very early in life, and there is a direct relationship between degree of obesity and fatty liver in children.
authors.affiliation: Loma Linda University School of Public Health, California, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kurata
authors.forename: Y K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kusano
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography