Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among U.S. adolescents using the definition from the International Diabetes Federation.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome using the 2007 pediatric International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition among adolescents in the U.S.


METHODS
We used data from 2,014 participants aged 12-17 years of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004.


RESULTS
The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome for the period 1999-2004 was approximately 4.5% ( approximately 1.1 million adolescents aged 12-17 years in 2006). It increased with age, was higher among males (6.7%) than females (2.1%) (P = 0.006), and was highest among Mexican-American adolescents (7.1%). The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was relatively stable across the 6-year period: 4.5% for 1999-2000, 4.4-4.5% for 2001-2002, and 3.7-3.9% for 2003-2004 (P for linear trend >0.050).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results provide the first estimates of the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome using the pediatric IDF definition among adolescents in the U.S.
Ford
Earl S
ES
Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. eford@cdc.gov
Li
Chaoyang
C
Zhao
Guixiang
G
Pearson
William S
WS
Mokdad
Ali H
AH
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology