Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its risk factors in Canadian children and adolescents: Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 1 (2007-2009) and Cycle 2 (2009-2011)

• Published in: Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada 2016-02, Vol.36 (2), p.32-40
• Main Authors: MacPherson, M, de Groh, M, Loukine, L, Prud'homme, D, Dubois, L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Body Mass Index; Canada - epidemiology; Canadian Health Measures Survey, metabolic syndrome, health surveys, cardiometabolic risk factors, prevalence, adolescent, child; Child; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Metabolic Syndrome - diagnosis; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Metabolic Syndrome - prevention & control; Needs Assessment; Obesity, Abdominal - diagnosis; Obesity, Abdominal - epidemiology; Obesity, Abdominal - prevention & control; Prevalence; Preventive Health Services - methods; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors
• ISSN: 2368-738X; 2368-738X
• DOI: 10.24095/hpcdp.36.2.03

We investigated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its risk factors, and the influence of socioeconomic status, in Canadian children and adolescents. Canadian Health Measures Survey cycle 1 (2007-2009) and cycle 2 (2009-2011) respondents aged 10 to 18 years who provided fasting blood samples were included (n = 1228). The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) consensus definition for children and adolescents (10-15 years) and worldwide adult definition (≥ 16 years) were used to diagnose MetS. Prevalence of MetS and its risk factors were calculated and differences by socioeconomic status were examined using χ2 tests. The prevalence of MetS was 2.1%. One-third (37.7%) of participants had at least one risk factor, with the most prevalent being abdominal obesity (21.6%), low HDL-C (19.1%) and elevated triglyceride levels (7.9%). This combination of abdominal obesity, low HDL-C and elevated triglyceride levels accounted for 61.5% of MetS cases. Participants from households with the highest income adequacy and educational attainment levels had the lowest prevalence of one or more MetS risk factors, abdominal obesity and low HDL-C. The prevalence of MetS (2.1%) was lower than previously reported in Canada (3.5%) and the USA (4.2%¬-9.2%), potentially due to the strict application of the IDF criteria for studying MetS. One-third of Canadian children and adolescents have at least one risk factor for MetS. Given that the risk for MetS increases with age, these prevalence estimates, coupled with a national obesity prevalence of almost 10% among youth, point to a growing risk of MetS and other chronic diseases for Canadian youth.