Introduction:

Dietary habits, lack of physical activity, parental obesity, parental education, and the socioeconomic level of the family have all been established as risk factors for childhood obesity. In a sample of elementary school children, we aimed to identify risk factors related to childhood obesity with an emphasis on the role of parental anthropometry, blood lipids, CRP and certain growth related molecules.

Materials and Methods:

The study was carried out in four elementary schools in Istanbul.A questionnaire requesting sociodemographic information (age, family income, household crowding, breast feeding, parental anthropometrics) was given to be completed by the child’s parents. At enrollment, body weight and height were recorded and BMI/BMI SDSs were calculated. The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high and low density lipoprotein (HDL and LDL), C- reactive protein (CRP), eptin, ghrelin, and IGF-1 were measured.

Results:

The study consisted of 620 (268 males,352 female) children with a mean age of 10.27±2.13years (min: 5.9 yrs, max: 15.3 yrs). Eighty-five children (13%) had obesity (>95th percentile). The rate of obesity was higher among males (17.2% versus 11.1%). Those children with obesity had significantly higher levels of CRP and leptin, whereas lower levels of HDL compared to those without. In the multivariate regression analysis, leptin (p<0.0001, OR: 4.84; 95%CI:0.029-0.070), HDL (p=0.05, OR: -1.94 95%CI: -0.021-0.00) and maternal BMI SDS (p=0.006, OR: 2.77; 95% CI: 0.06-0.35) were independent risk factors related to BMI SDS.

Conclusion:

In a sample of elementary school children independent factors related to BMI SDS were leptin, HDL and maternal BMI. Determination of metabolic, genetic and environmental risk factors associated with obesity might help develop preventive strategies to this global health issue.

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