title: Relationship between serum cholesterol and body mass index in Nigeria schoolchildren aged 2-15 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-communicable disease is becoming a public health problem that it is already present in more affluent countries. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and total serum cholesterol with its lipoprotein fractions in children aged 2-15 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum cholesterol was estimated using the enzymatic spectrophotometer cholesterol oxidase/peroxidase method. BMI was calculated as weight (kg)/height (m(2)).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein were positively co-related with BMI (p < 0.05). Using linear regression, equations that can be used to predict serum total cholesterol from known BMI values were developed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a positive correlation between BMI and serum cholesterol. BMI which is non-invasive is recommended as a screening tool for cardiovascular risk in settings where serum cholesterol cannot be routinely estimated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria obiyo_nwaiwu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Obiyo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nwaiwu
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Bede C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Ibe
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: body mass index; low-density lipoprotein; total cholesterol