Is Neck Circumference an Indicator for Metabolic Complication of Childhood Obesity?
BACKGROUND
The possible role of neck circumference (NC) for screening childhood obesity and its complication is not well characterized.


OBJECTIVE
To assess NC and to explore its increase as risk factor with metabolic syndrome (MS) variables.


METHODS
Cross sectional case-control study included 50 obese children (BMI ≥95(th) percentile) and 50 healthy (BMI 15(th)-‹85(th) percentile). All were subjected to clinical examination, measuring blood pressure (BP), body weight, height, NC, waist (WC) and hip (HC)., fasting blood glucose, insulin and lipid profile.


RESULTS
MS was detected among 52% of obese participants, but not among controls (0%). Clinical parameters and most of the laboratory values were higher in subjects with MS than in non-metabolic subjects, with statistical significance only in blood pressure and triglycerides. Among obese without MS, NC showed significantly positive correlations with age, weight, height, WC, HC and negative with LDL. While among Obese with MS, NC showed significantly positive correlations with age, weight, height, BMI-SDS, WC, HC and DBP.


CONCLUSIONS
NC can be considered as a good indicator and predictor for obesity, especially central obesity. However, NC has no relation with lipid profile or fasting blood sugar.
Biological Anthropology Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt (Affiliation ID 60014618).
Nayera E
NE
Hassan
Department of Pediatrics, Diabetes Endocrine and Metabolism Pediatric Unit (DEMPU), New Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Abeer
A
Atef
Biological Anthropology Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt (Affiliation ID 60014618).
Sahar A
SA
El-Masry
Department of Pediatrics, Diabetes Endocrine and Metabolism Pediatric Unit (DEMPU), New Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Amany
A
Ibrahim
Biological Anthropology Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt (Affiliation ID 60014618).
Muhammad
M
Al-Tohamy
Clinical Pathology Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt (Affiliation ID 60014618).
Enas Abdel
EA
Rasheed
Biological Anthropology Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt (Affiliation ID 60014618).
Galal Ismail Ahmed
GI
Elashry
Children; Neck Circumference; Obesity; blood pressure; lipid profile