Socio-economic differences in cardiometabolic risk markers are mediated by diet and body fatness in 8- to 11-year-old Danish children: a cross-sectional study. Issue 12 (1st March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hauger, Hanne; Groth, Margit V; Ritz, Christian; Biltoft-Jensen, Anja; Andersen, Rikke; Dalskov, Stine-Mathilde; Hjorth, Mads F; Sjödin, Anders; Astrup, Arne; Michaelsen, Kim F; Damsgaard, Camilla T
• Is Part Of: Public health nutrition. Volume 19:Issue 12(2016)
• Page Start: 2229
• Page End: 2239
• Publication Date: 2016-03-01
• Subjects: Socio-economic differences, -- Cardiometabolic risk markers, -- Mediation, -- Children; Nutrition -- Periodicals; Nutrition policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.2
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980015003766
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-9800

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To explore whether socio-economic differences exist in cardiometabolic risk markers in children and whether lifestyle-related factors potentially mediate these differences. Design: Cross-sectional study including measurements of fasting blood lipids, glucose, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), blood pressure and heart rate. Potential mediators examined were fat mass index (FMI); intakes of fruit, vegetables, dietary fibre and added sugar; whole-blood n -3 long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA) as a biomarker of fish intake; and physical activity and sedentary time. Setting: Nine primary schools in Denmark. Subjects: Children aged 8–11 years ( n 715). Results: Children of parents with the shortest compared with longest education had higher TAG by 0·12 (95 % CI 0·04, 0·21) mmol/l and HOMA-IR by 0·36 (0·10, 0·62), whereas children of parents with a vocational education had higher total cholesterol by 0·14 (0·02, 0·27) mmol/l and LDL cholesterol by 0·14 (0·03, 0·25) mmol/l compared with children of parents with the longest education; all P <0·05. FMI explained 25 % of the difference in TAG, 64 % of the difference in HOMA-IR and 21–29 % of the differences in cholesterols. FMI and whole-blood n -3 LCPUFA combined explained 42 % of the difference in TAG, whereas FMI, whole-blood n -3 LCPUFA and dietary fibre explained 89 % of the difference in HOMA-IR. Conclusions: Socio-economic differences were present in blood lipids and insulin resistance among 8- to 11-year-olds and were mediated by body fatness, whole-blood n -3 LCPUFA and dietary fibre. These lifestyle factors may be targets in public initiatives to reduce socio-economic differences. Confirmation in longitudinal studies and trials is warranted.