Objective: To investigate the association between obesity and prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) with its associated risk factors, in children and adolescents.
Methods: A stratified random sampling method was used to select 7893 students from 6 to 18 years of age from 14 out of 396 primary and secondary schools in Nanning city. All the students had undergone physical examination and blood tests including the following risk factors related to metabolic syndrome: fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), alanine amino shift enzyme (ALT), aspartic acid amine shift enzyme (AST) and fasting insulin (FINS). The homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was also measured.
Results: (1) The prevalence rate of MS in normal group was 0.57%. In both the overweight and obesity groups, the prevalence rates of MS were 4.53% and 26.80%, respectively. (2) These indices in obesity group were higher than other two groups (P < 0.05). The result of overweight group was higher than normal group (P < 0.05). (3) Waist circumference (OR = 1.087, 95%CI: 1.033 - 1.143), SBP (OR = 1.073, 95%CI: 1.032 - 1.116), FBG (OR = 1.394, 95%CI: 1.568 - 3.423), TG (OR = 3.213, 95%CI: 1.410 - 7.319) and HDL-C (OR = 0.001, 95%CI: 0.000 - 0.012) were detecting indices which had statistically significant with MS in binary logistic regression analysis.
Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome and obesity were closely related in children and adolescents while its prevalence and risk factors increased with the severity of obesity.