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Metabolic syndrome in Spanish adolescents and its association with birth weight, breastfeeding duration, maternal smoking, and maternal obesity: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Purpose

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adolescents is a growing problem. The objectives were to verify the association among early predictors such as birth weight, breastfeeding, maternal weight status, smoking during pregnancy, and the development of MetS.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed of 976 children and adolescents, 10–15 years of age, at schools in the provinces of Granada and Almeria (Spain). For this purpose, we analyzed the physical characteristics as well as the biochemical markers of the participants with a view to ascertaining the prevalence of the MetS. Relevant data were also extracted from the clinical histories of their mothers.

Results

It was found that 3.85 % of the female subjects and 5.38 % of the male subjects in the sample population suffered from MetS. In both sexes, there was an association between birth weight and positive MetS diagnosis (OR 1.27). For both males and females, there was an inverse association between the length of time that they had been breastfed and positive MetS diagnosis (OR1–3 months 3.16; OR4–6 months 1.70; OR>6 months 0.13). There was also a significant association between maternal weight (ORoverweight 30.79; ORobesity 49.36) and cigarette consumption during pregnancy (OR 1.47) and the subsequent development of MetS in the children of these mothers.

Conclusions

Those subjects born with a higher than average birth weight had a greater risk of developing MetS in childhood and adolescence. Breastfeeding children for longer than 6 months protected them from MetS in their early years as well as in their teens. Other risk factors for MetS were maternal smoking during pregnancy as well as maternal overweight and obesity.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no competing interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Granada, C/Santander No 1, 52071, Melilla, Spain

    Emilio González-Jiménez

  2. Department of Statistics and O.R., Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Granada, C/Santander No 1, 52071, Melilla, Spain

    Miguel A. Montero-Alonso

  3. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, Av/Madrid s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Jacqueline Schmidt-RioValle

  4. Department of Forensic Medicine Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Av/Madrid s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Carmen J. García-García

  5. Department of Life Sciences, Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, University of Coimbra, Apartado 3046, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal

    Cristina Padez

Authors
  1. Emilio González-Jiménez
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  2. Miguel A. Montero-Alonso
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  3. Jacqueline Schmidt-RioValle
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  4. Carmen J. García-García
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  5. Cristina Padez
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Correspondence to Emilio González-Jiménez.

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González-Jiménez, E., Montero-Alonso, M.A., Schmidt-RioValle, J. et al. Metabolic syndrome in Spanish adolescents and its association with birth weight, breastfeeding duration, maternal smoking, and maternal obesity: a cross-sectional study. Eur J Nutr 54, 589–597 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0740-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0740-x

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