Association between serum cholesterol levels and nutritional status in school children aged 10-12 years

Abstract

Background Hypercholesterolemia in children is an important risk factor that causes coronary heart disease in the future. Nutritional status, especially overweight/obesity, is associated with hyperc- holesterolemia. Objective To determine the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and its association with nutritional status. Methods This was a cross sectional study conducted during April- June 2001. Subjects consisted of children aged 10-12 year-old registered at primary schools in Manado, Tondano, and Tandengan Minahasa. Data were analyzed using t test, z score, and chi-square. Results Of the 229 samples, 153 (66.8%) were boys and 76 (33.2 %) were girls. The mean of total cholesterol level in boys was 179.46 mg/dL (SD 33.44) and in girls was 180.95 mg/dL (SD 33.77) which was not significantly different (p>0.05). There were no differences in either the number of children having “borderline” cholesterol level (170–199 mg/dL) or hypercholesterolemia (3200 mg/dL) between both sexes. Of the 229 children, 65 (28.4%) had hypercholester- olemia. Of the 65 children, 37 (36%) came from the primary school in Manado, which was significant compared to the other school locations (p<0.05). Twenty-five (39%) children with hypercholes- terolemia had overweight nutritional status, which was significant compared to the other nutritional status (p<0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 28.4 %. There was an association between hypercholesterolemia and nutri- tional status, with a tendency of hypercholesterolemia to occur at overweight nutritional status, especially in the urban area

Keywords

• Hypercholesterolemia
• obesity
• school age children