title: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its risk factors in Canadian children and adolescents: Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 1 (2007-2009) and Cycle 2 (2009-2011).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its risk factors, and the influence of socioeconomic status, in Canadian children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Canadian Health Measures Survey cycle 1 (2007-2009) and cycle 2 (2009-2011) respondents aged 10 to 18 years who provided fasting blood samples were included (n = 1228). The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) consensus definition for children and adolescents (10-15 years) and worldwide adult definition (≥ 16 years) were used to diagnose MetS. Prevalence of MetS and its risk factors were calculated and differences by socioeconomic status were examined using χ2 tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of MetS was 2.1%. One-third (37.7%) of participants had at least one risk factor, with the most prevalent being abdominal obesity (21.6%), low HDL-C (19.1%) and elevated triglyceride levels (7.9%). This combination of abdominal obesity, low HDL-C and elevated triglyceride levels accounted for 61.5% of MetS cases. Participants from households with the highest income adequacy and educational attainment levels had the lowest prevalence of one or more MetS risk factors, abdominal obesity and low HDL-C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of MetS (2.1%) was lower than previously reported in Canada (3.5%) and the USA (4.2%¬-9.2%), potentially due to the strict application of the IDF criteria for studying MetS. One-third of Canadian children and adolescents have at least one risk factor for MetS. Given that the risk for MetS increases with age, these prevalence estimates, coupled with a national obesity prevalence of almost 10% among youth, point to a growing risk of MetS and other chronic diseases for Canadian youth.
authors.affiliation: Social Determinants and Science Integration Directorate, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: MacPherson
authors.affiliation: Social Determinants and Science Integration Directorate, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Groh
authors.affiliation: Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loukine
authors.affiliation: Institut de recherche de l'Hôpital Montfort, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prud'homme
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dubois
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D020380:Needs Assessment; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL
keywords: Canadian Health Measures Survey; adolescent; cardiometabolic risk factors; child; health surveys; metabolic syndrome; prevalence