Association of Perinatal Factors and Family Sociodemographic Characteristics With Cardiometabolic Health in Pre-Adolescence: Cross-Sectional Results From Healthy Growth Study

Aim

Study the influence of a variety of perinatal factors on the presence of metabolic syndrome and its parameters in prepubertal age, considering socio-demographic factors, sex, Tanner stage and weight status of the preadolescent.

Methods

Data collected from the cross-sectional Healthy Growth Study (2007) in students from four prefectures of Greece and their families. Cardiometabolic risk factors (waist circumference, blood pressure and blood indices) and perinatal data (from parents and health records) were collected. Single and a multiple logistic regression performed to assess the associations with cardiometabolic risk in preadolescence. Dependent variables included waist circumference, blood glucose, HDL-C, TG, blood pressure and metabolic syndrome presence, while independent variables encompassed perinatal factors categorised as pre-pregnancy, during and post-pregnancy.

Results

2666 pre-adolescents (mean age 11.2 year) participated in the study. After adjustment for parental educational level, family income, sex, Tanner stage and weight category, maternal pre-pregnancy weight was positively associated with high waist circumference (OR, 95% CI 1.02 (1.00–1.04)), low HDL-C levels (OR, 95% CI 1.01 (1.00–1.03)) and metabolic syndrome (OR, 95% CI 1.02 (1.00–1.05)). Timing of solid foods' introduction was positively associated with high waist circumference (OR, 95% CI 1.09 (1.01–1.08)), gestational age with high glucose levels (OR, 95% CI 1.12 (1.04–1.19)), smoking (OR, 95% CI 1.07 (1.00–1.14)) and alcohol consumption (OR, 95% CI 2.35 (1.05–5.27)) during the first trimester of breastfeeding with high glucose levels and low HDL-C levels, respectively. Number of previous miscarriages was positively associated with low HDL-C levels (OR, 95% CI 1.28 (1.04–1.57)). Gestational age was negatively associated with high waist circumference (OR, 95% CI 0.87 (0.80–0.95)) and iron supplementation in the third pregnancy trimester negatively association with high TG levels (OR, 95% CI 0.34 (0.12–0.91)).

Conclusions

Maternal weight, perinatal behaviours, infant feeding and miscarriages influence pre-pubertal cardiometabolic health, independent of sociodemographics, sex, Tanner stage and weight.