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Arch Dis Child 93:945-951 doi:10.1136/adc.2007.132951
  • Original article

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome at age 16 using the International Diabetes Federation paediatric definition

  1. J Pirkola1,
  2. T Tammelin2,
  3. A Bloigu3,
  4. A Pouta1,3,
  5. J Laitinen2,
  6. A Ruokonen4,
  7. P Tapanainen5,
  8. M-R Järvelin3,6,7,
  9. M Vääräsmäki1
  1. 1
    Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
  2. 2
    Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Oulu, Finland
  3. 3
    Department of Child and Adolescent Health, National Public Health Institute, Oulu, Finland
  4. 4
    Department of Clinical Chemistry, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
  5. 5
    Department of Paediatrics and Adolescence, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
  6. 6
    Imperial College, London, UK
  7. 7
    Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Finland
  1. Jatta Pirkola, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 24, FI-90029 Oulu, Finland; jatta.pirkola{at}gmail.com
  • Accepted 20 April 2008
  • Published Online First 2 May 2008

Abstract

Objective: We estimated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in adolescents, using the new International Diabetes Federation (IDF) paediatric definition and compared this with prevalence estimated using the IDF adult definition and five other previously published definitions.

Design: Cross-sectional survey in the prospective general population-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC 1986) at age 16 years.

Setting: Birth cohort in Finland.

Participants: 5665 adolescents (2862 males and 2803 females) clinically examined in 2001–2002.

Main outcome measures: The prevalence of MS using different definitions.

Results: The overall prevalence of MS using the IDF paediatric definition was 2.4% (95% CI 2.0 to 2.8%) at the age of 16 years. Using the IDF adult definition the overall prevalence was lower, 1.7% (CI 1.3 to 2.0%, European cut-offs for waist circumference) and 1.0% (CI 0.7 to 1.3%, North American cut-offs).

Conclusion: In 16-year-old adolescents, the paediatric IDF definition rendered a higher prevalence estimate than the adult definition.

Footnotes

  • Funding: JP has received funding from the National Graduate School of Clinical Investigation.

  • Competing interests: None.

  • Ethics approval: The Ethics Committee of Northern Osthrobothnia Hospital District approved the study.

  • Patient consent: Adolescents and parents received written and oral information and gave their written informed consent.