ESPE Abstracts

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is defined as a group of disorders including diabetes mellitus, central obesity, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension.

Aim: To investigate the role of lifestyle habits in correlation with MetSyn in children.

Methods: In our research, 480 students, 6–12 years old, were participated living in Sparta–Greece. During 2011–2012, a specially designed questionnaire was used and anthropometric and biochemical analyzes were performed.

Results: 22.7% of children had BMI% ≥90%. 67.9% had WC% ≥95%. 35.6% of children had elevated, for their age, systolic blood pressure, 31.5% had LDL ≥100 mg/dl, 33.5% glucose ≥100 mg/dl, 3.6% triglycerides ≥150 mg/dl, 4.4% cholesterol ≥200 mg/dl and no children had HDL ≤40 mg/dl. 15% were predisposed for MetSyn. With statistically importance P≤0.05 we found: reduced vegetable and cereal consumption increased glucose level. Reduced fruit consumption increased triglycerides. Lack of sleep increased cholesterol. The hour when children go to bed was positively correlated with BMI%, waist circumference % (WC%) and glucose. Studying separately children with (MTS) and without predisposition (WMTS) for MetSyn we found that in MTS: fruit and vegetable consumption increased glucose and Ca respectively. Legume consumption increased total protein, CRP and decreased urea. Dairy product consumption increased WC%. Regarding WMTS we found: meat consumption increased LDL. Cereals consumption increased WC%. Oil/olive consumption increased HLD, albumin, and BMI%. In MTS: BMI% was increased in children who sleep after 2200 h. Nap increased glucose, LDL and decreased total protein and ALT/SGPT. In WMTS: lack of sleep is positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure (DP), urea and creatinine. Nap decreased systolic blood pressure (SP), DP, and creatinine. The hour when children go to bed was positively correlated with WC%, DP, urea, and glucose.

Conclusion: Childhood obesity and predisposition for MetSyn are in high percentage. In an effort to prevent metabolic complications is necessary to preserve an appropriate diet and also keep adequate sleep hours.