Association of physical activity and body mass index with metabolic syndrome among US adolescents with disabilities

Abstract Background Adolescents with disabilities (A-With-D) have shown to be less physically active and more obese compared to adolescents without disabilities (A-Without-D); however, little is known in regards to the impact of physical activity (PA) and body mass index (BMI) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) among A-with-D. Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of MetS, PA levels and BMI percentile between A-With-D and A-Without-D, and to examine the influence of PA and BMI on MetS among A-With-D. Methods Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2010 was used in this study. Inclusion criteria for the study consisted of those who indicated, in the survey, that they had received special education or early intervention service ( n = 278). PA level was assessed subjectively by asking the amount of leisure time PA. BMI percentile was obtained using BMI growth charts by age and sex. The continuous MetS (cMetS) score was computed using age and sex standardized residual for mean arterial blood pressure, triglyceride, glucose, waist circumference, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Results A-With-D were more likely to be obese and less likely to be engaged in PA compared to A-Without-D. A-With-D were less favorable to MetS with significantly higher cMetS scores than A-Without-D. Lower levels of PA and higher percentile of BMI were significantly associated with higher levels of cMetS scores among A-With-D. Conclusion This study provided empirical evidence for the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle (i.e., increasing the level of PA and decreasing the BMI percentile) among A-With-D in order to reduce the risk of MetS.