Serum Lipid Profile and Nutritional Status in 6~7 Year Old Obese Children

Purpose: This study was designed to characterize the nutritional status and assess obesity to determine the relationship between obesity and serum lipid profiles in 6 ∼ 7 year old children. Methods: In 2007, we surveyed 483 children (233 boys and 250 girls) aged 6 ∼ 7 years. The total cholesterol, triglyceride levels and HDL-cholesterol were measured in the fasting state. Dietary information was obtained by a questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of obesity was 9.9%. There was no significant difference between genders. The mean caloric intake was 1,781 kcal in boys and 1,640 kcal in girls. The prevalence of excessive calories was 33% in boys and 30% in girls. The prevalence of a total cholesterol ≥ 200 mg/dL was 8.4%, TG ≥ 130 mg/dL was 5.0%, LDL-cholesterol ≥ 130 mg/dL was 3.1%, and HDL-cholesterol <35 mg/dL was 4.4%. The prevalence of hypertension was 2.1%. There was no significant difference between genders. The systolic blood pressure, triglyceride levels and LDL-cholesterol were significantly related to an increased obesity index ( p ＜ 0.05). The mean caloric intake and nutritive component were not related to the obesity index. The obesity group was compared to the control group: for triglycerides ≥ 130 mg/dL the odds ratio was 4.08; for LDL-cholesterol ≥ 130 mg the odds ratio was 2.85; for a TC/HDL-cholesterol ≥ 4.0 the odds ratio was 1.16. The BMI and triglyceride levels in the group with hypertension were higher than control group ( p ＜ 0.05). There were significant positive correlations between the BMI and blood pressure as well as the LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides ( p ＜ 0.05). The BMI was not correlated with the mean caloric intake or nutrition.