title: Association between leg length-to-height ratio and metabolic syndrome in Chinese children aged 3 to 6 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to investigate the association between leg-length-to-height ratio (LLHR) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Chinese children.
  
  
  METHODS
  1236 children (619 obese and 617 nonobese children) aged 3-6 years participated in a cross-sectional survey in 2005 in Tianjin, China. Information on body adiposity, metabolic traits, and related covariates was obtained using a standardized protocol. LLHR was calculated as the ratio of leg length to stature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the multivariable logistic regression analyses, compared with those in the lowest quartile, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of MetS among children in the second through the highest quartiles of LLHR Z-score were 0.89 (95% CI, 0.64-1.25), 0.45 (95% CI, 0.32-0.63), and 0.37 (95% CI, 0.26-0.53), respectively, (P for trend < 0.0001 across LLHR Z-score quartiles). Compared with children with both higher levels of LLHR and lower levels of adipose indices, the corresponding ORs of MetS for those with both lower levels of LLHR and higher levels of anthropometric indices were 4.51 (95% CI, 3.08-6.62) for BMI Z-score, 3.86 (95% CI, 2.60-5.73) for waist circumference, and 2.75 (95% CI, 1.85-4.10) for waist-to-hip ratio, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater LLHR is inversely associated with MetS in Chinese children.
authors: Tianjin Women and Children's Health Center, Tianjin, China.
authors: Gongshu
authors: G
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Community Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada, L2S 3A1.
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Tianjin Women and Children's Health Center, Tianjin, China.
authors: Nan
authors: N
authors: Li
authors: Tianjin Women and Children's Health Center, Tianjin, China.
authors: Zheying
authors: Z
authors: Tang
authors: Tianjin Women and Children's Health Center, Tianjin, China.
authors: Fengrong
authors: F
authors: Lan
authors: Tianjin Women and Children's Health Center, Tianjin, China.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Pan
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
authors: Xilin
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: Chronic Disease Epidemiology Laboratory, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
authors: Gang
authors: G
authors: Hu
authors: Department of Community Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada, L2S 3A1; Population Cancer Research Program and Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
authors: Zhijie
authors: Z
authors: Yu
keywords: BMI, body mass index; CI, confidence interval; CVD, cardiovascular disease; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; LLHR, leg-length-to-height ratio; Leg length-to-height ratio; MetS, metabolic syndrome; Metabolic syndrome; OR, odds ratios; Obesity; PI, Ponderal index; Pediatrics; T2D, type 2 diabetes; WHR, waist-to-hip ratio