RUDN Journal of Medicine (Dec 2016)
Nutritional status disordes and comorbidities in children
Abstract
Several comorbid measures demonstrates the predictive ability for children's health. The association of body mass index (BMI) categories with comorbidities studied in 317 children of 7-15 year old. Body mass index and presence of chronic condition were assessed. Comorbidity index was estimated in subgroup of children with BMI ±1SD, ±2SD, ±3SD. Children with normal weight had comorbidity index of 3.2. Increase or decrease of BMI is associated with rise of comorbidity index. Obesity as well as protein-energy malnutrition increases comorbidity index more than to 4 in children. Impaired nutritional status can be considered as an independent risk factor for concomitant pathology in children. Increase of comorbidity in obesity and underweight is predominantly nonspecific in nature. Obesity in children is characterized by the formation of a specific set of diseases, which together can be considered as a single characteristic polypathy.