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Prevalence of different metabolic phenotypes of obesity in Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN V study

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Abstract

Background

Pediatric metabolic disorders are a major health problem. The prevalence of child and adolescent metabolic disorders particularly obesity has globally shown a growing pattern. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of different metabolic phenotypes of obesity in children and adolescents.

Methods

This multi-centric cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 in 30 provinces of Iran. Participants consisted of 4200 school students aged 7–18 years, studied in a national school-based surveillance program (CASPIAN- V) in Iran. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity was defined according to ATP III and WHO criteria respectively. Subjects were classified into four different metabolic phenotypes of obesity; metabolically healthy nonobese (MHNO), metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically non-healthy non-obese (MNHNO) and metabolically non-healthy obese (MNHO). Moreover students were classified in four different phenotypes of obesity; normal; only abdominal obesity (AO), only generalized obesity (GO) and combined obesity (CO).

Results

The prevalence (95% confidence interval) of different metabolic phenotypes of obesity, MHO 10.35 (9.1, 11.8), MNHNO 3.31 (2.6, 4.2) and MNHO 2.19 (1.6, 2.9) was found in boys, while the prevalence of these phenotypes was significantly lower in girls (7.74 (6.6, 9.1), 3.11 (2.4,5.1) and 1.41 (0.9,2.1) respectively). The prevalence of only AO, only GO and CO was 12.17% (11.6, 12.7), 2.51% (2.3,2.8), and 8.86% (8.4,9.3), respectively. Based on gender differences, the prevalence of AO was significantly higher among girls than boys (12.4% of girls vs. 11.9% of boys).

Conclusions

Healthy lifestyle education and program interventions are necessary for children with different metabolic phenotypes of obesity, as there is a high probability that they may suffer from poor health in the future.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful of all participants and large team working on this project in different provinces.

Funding

Data of a national surveillance program were used for this study.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Mostafa Qorbani and Roya Kelishadi equally contributed as corresponding authors

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Ramin Heshmat & Gita Shafiee

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Hezar-Jarib Ave, Isfahan, Iran

    Zeinab Hemati & Roya Kelishadi

  3. Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular -Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Moloud Payab

  4. Food and Nutrition Policy, Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional sciences and Dietetic, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Shirin Seyed Hamzeh

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Mohammad Esmaeil Motlagh

  6. Bureau of Population, Family and School Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran

    Majzoubeh Taheri

  7. Health Psychology Research Center, Education Ministry, Tehran, Iran

    Hasan Ziaodini

  8. Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Mostafa Qorbani

  9. Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mostafa Qorbani

Authors
  1. Ramin Heshmat
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  2. Zeinab Hemati
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  3. Moloud Payab
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  4. Shirin Seyed Hamzeh
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  5. Mohammad Esmaeil Motlagh
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  6. Gita Shafiee
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  7. Majzoubeh Taheri
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  8. Hasan Ziaodini
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  9. Mostafa Qorbani
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  10. Roya Kelishadi
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Mostafa Qorbani or Roya Kelishadi.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by the Research and Ethics Council of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (Project number: 194049). After explaining the objectives and protocols of the study, written informed consent and verbal consent were obtained from all the children and adolescents, respectively.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

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Heshmat, R., Hemati, Z., Payab, M. et al. Prevalence of different metabolic phenotypes of obesity in Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN V study. J Diabetes Metab Disord 17, 211–221 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-018-0363-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-018-0363-5

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