Introduction: The environmental risk factors such as food intake and physival activity, are determinants in the etiology of metabolic syndrome in overweight adolescents.
Objective: To explore the association between environmental risk factors and components presence of metabolic syndrome in overweight youngsters in Medellín.
Materials and methods: Adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 were selected for a cross sectional study. Body composition by anthropometry, blood pressure, lipid profile, glucose, insulin, food intake and physical activity level were assessed in the study population.
Results: The prevalence for metabolic syndrome components of hypertriglyceridemia was 40.9%; hypertension, 20.9%; low HDLc, 15.6%; high waist circumference, 4.0%, and hyperglycemia, 0.9%; the overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 3.1%. There was a statistical difference (p<0.005) between the consumption of calories, simple and total carbohydrates and the presence of the components; no association was found between the level of physical activity and the presence of components (p>0.05). The logistic regression model showed a higher probability of having at least one component if the youngster was male (p=0.022), with a higher BMI (Body Mass Index)(p=0.019) and was located in the fourth simple carbohydrates consumption quartile (p=0.036).
Conclusions: Environmental risk factors associated with components of metabolic syndrome were the increased consumption of calories, simple and complex carbohydrates, all directly related to the BMI. In contrast, the level of physical activity, family history and personal risk factors showed no association. The metabolic syndrome only occurred in youngsters with obesity.