[Nutritional Status, Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance in Children from Santiago (Chile)]

Background: The origin of most non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is in early life. Consequently obtaining information on risk factors for NCDs is important for preventive purposes. However, there is no information available on the prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome (MS) and insulin resistance (IR) in Chilean children.

Objetives: To determine the prevalence of nutritional status, MS and IR, and secondly, to study the associations among them.

Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted during 2009-2011 in 20 public schools of Puente Alto County, Santiago, Chile. Anthropometry, blood pressure and pubertal status were assessed. A blood sample was obtained for determination of lipids, blood glucose and insulin. Abnormal Homeostasis model assessment index (HOMA-IR) was based on a national standard.

Results: 3325 children had a mean age of 11.4 ± 1 years old (range 10-15 years). The prevalence of obesity, MS and IR was 16.1%, 7.3% and 25.9%, respectively. The prevalence of IR and MS was higher in obese children. MS and IR were strongly associated with an OR of 8.0 (95% CI= 5.9-10.7). Multivariate analysis showed that all MS components were associated to IR.

Conclusions: There is a relatively high prevalence of risk factors in this sample of children. The strong positive association between nutritional status, IR and MS points out the need to early identify risk factors for NCDs allowing for prevention.