Metabolic syndrome in youth: a cross-sectional school-based survey.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among students attending vocational secondary school (VSE). VSE provides practice-oriented education in which young people learn a specific occupation. Previously we reported VSE to be the type of education with the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity.


METHODS
All data were collected in a cross-sectional school-based survey. Subjects were recruited from a community sample of 869 adolescents in 14 secondary schools. In this total sample all components of the metabolic syndrome were assessed in a subgroup of 506 students. MetS was defined analogous to National Cholesterol Education Program: Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, with modifications for students under 19 years of age.


RESULTS
In the subsample (n=506) 4.1% of the students had metabolic syndrome. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among BMI categories (p<0.001). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was higher in obese students (39.1%) than in overweight students (2.8%) and normal weight students (0.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
Being overweight or obese substantially increases the risk for metabolic syndrome, even in an adolescent school population.
Vissers
Dirk
D
University College of Antwerp, Department of Health Sciences-Physiotherapy, and Antwerp University Hospital, Department of Diabetology, Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition, Antwerp, Belgium. d.vissers@ha.be
Vanroy
Christel
C
De Meulenaere
An
A
Van de Sompel
Annemie
A
Truijen
Steven
S
Van Gaal
Luc
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D049628:Body Size; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides