Association between anthropometric parameters and cardio-metabolic disease risk factors among obese children and adolescents

Background: Childhood obesity increases risk for developing cardio-metabolic diseases. Objectives: to investigate the relation of some anthropometric parameters with cardio-metabolic disease risk factors in obese children and adolescents. Subjects and Methods: Cross sectional study, comprised of 139 obese pupils; aged 8 to 16 years (classified to 3 age groups). Each pupil underwent complete physical examination, anthropometric and laboratory assessment (fasting blood sugar and lipid profile). Results: Boys had significantly higher values of abdominal skin fold thickness in the age groups II and III and in central adiposity, waist circumference, waist/hip ratio and sub scapular skin fold thickness in adolescents. For boys, fasting blood sugar correlated with most of the anthropometric measurements in young age, and with skinfold thickness in the three age groups. While lipid profile correlated with skinfold thickness particularly at subscapular area in the age groups I and II. For girls, none of the parameters under study showed any significant correlation except subscapular skinfold thickness which had significant correlations with lipid profile in age groups I and II. Conclusion: Skin fold thickness particularly subscapular; is important indicator for cardio-metabolic complications in obese children of both sexes. Obese boys are more liable to cardio-metabolic complications.