Abstract
Background: Childhood obesity has become a serious public health threat worldwide due to its many short- and long-term adverse health effects. We assessed the association between weight status and metabolic co-morbidities among South Korean children using nationally representative data. Methods. Data from the 2007-2008 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys for 1,526 children aged 10-19 years were used. Logistic regression models were fit to examine the association between weight status [overweight, 85th percentile ≤ BMI <95th percentile; obese, BMI ≥95 th percentile; and central obesity, waist circumference ≥90 th percentile, based on 2007 Korean National Growth Charts] and metabolic outcomes. Results: More obese children had metabolic co-morbidities than normal-weight children (P < 0.05). Boys had higher means BMI than girls, WC, and BP, while girls had higher means of total blood cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol (P < 0.05). Attributable risk of metabolic syndrome was high due to overweight and obesity: 91.1% for central obesity and 29.6% for high TG. Obese children had increased risk of having high BP (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.90; 95% CI: 1.05-3.45), dyslipidemia (OR: 6.21; 95% CI: 3.59-10.75), high TG (OR: 6.87; 95% CI: 4.05-11.64), low HDL (OR: 4.46; 95% CI: 2.23-8.89), and ≥2 co-morbidities (OR: 26.97; 95% CI: 14.95-48.65) compared to normal-weight subjects, while the associations between weight status and metabolic outcomes were stronger in boys. Conclusions: Obesity was strongly associated with metabolic co-morbidities in South Korean children.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 279 |
Journal | BMC public health |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 25 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Adolescents
- Body mass index
- Child
- Metabolic co-morbidity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Obesity
- South Korean
- Waist
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health