Moderately elevated body mass index is associated with metabolic variables and cardiovascular risk factors in Swedish children.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate associations between anthropometrics and metabolic variables as well as cardiovascular risk factors among children.


METHODS
Subjects were recruited from a cohort of 274 healthy children in Umeå, Sweden. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure and venous blood samples were collected at age 10 years and simultaneously from parents.


RESULTS
Altogether 144 children (53%), 142 mothers and 123 fathers participated. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the children was 18 and 2%, respectively. Overweight children (above age- and sex-specific cut offs corresponding adult BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) ), compared to normal weight children, had significantly higher BMI already during infancy and higher S-insulin and Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA) index at 10 years. The children's BMI was positively associated with waist (boys' r = 0.67, girls' r = 0.81), hip (r = 0.68), waist/hip ratio (girls' r = 0.37), waist/height ratio (boys' r = 0.59, girls' r = 0.80), sagittal abdominal diameter (r = 0.75), S-insulin (r = 0.45), HOMA index (r = 0.49), systolic blood pressure (r = 0.24), mothers' BMI (girls' r = 0.42) and mothers' waist (girls' r = 0.42).


CONCLUSIONS
Children at 10 years of age with moderately elevated BMI had higher levels of some metabolic variables and cardiovascular risk factors than did normal weight children, and there was a correlation between BMI and some metabolic variables as well as cardiovascular risk factors.
Larsson
Christel
C
Department of Food and Nutrition, Umeå University, Sweden. christel.larsson@kost.umu.se
Hernell
Olle
O
Lind
Torbjörn
T
D000886:Anthropometry; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010290:Parents; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio