title: Obesity is positively associated with dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentrations at 7 y in Chilean children of normal birth weight.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In low-birth-weight girls, obesity increases the risk of premature adrenarche and metabolic complications. However, the consistency of this association in normal-birth-weight children and its potential mediators remain unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives were to assess the associations between obesity indicators and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) at 7 y of age and to evaluate the role of hormonal markers on these associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed in 969 participants (6.9 y; 48% girls; all Tanner I) in the Growth and Obesity Chilean Cohort Study the associations between DHEAS and weight, BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio, skinfold thickness, and percentage total fat (bioimpedance) and determined whether these associations were related to insulin, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and leptin. We also compared BMI and height growth from 0 to 7 y of age in nonobese and obese children with normal and high DHEAS (≥75th percentile) at 7 y.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DHEAS concentrations were similar between girls (30.3 ±1.86 μg/dL) and boys (29.4 ±1.73 μg/dL) (P > 0.05); 17.3% of children were obese (BMI-for-age z score ≥2 SD). Adiposity indicators were positively and similarly associated with DHEAS [ie, BMI, β standardized regression coefficient: 0.23 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.29); WC, β standardized regression coefficient: 0.23 (95% CI: 0.16, 0.30)]; these associations were only partially related to IGF-I and leptin. Obese children had twice the risk of high DHEAS (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.51, 3.09); at 7 y, obese children with high DHEAS were fatter and more centrally obese than their counterparts (P < 0.05), although their previous growth was similar (P > 0.05). None of the results differed by sex (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children of normal birth weight, obesity is positively associated with DHEAS at 7 y of age.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. ccorvalan@inta.uchile.cl
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corvalán
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uauy
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mericq
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D050499:Adrenarche; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate