Dietary intake and the metabolic syndrome in overweight Latino children

J Am Diet Assoc. 2008 Aug;108(8):1355-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2008.05.006.

Abstract

Little is known about the relationship between diet and metabolic health in Latino children, a population at increased risk for diabetes. The present study evaluates diet composition and the metabolic syndrome in a cross-sectional sample of 109 overweight Latino children aged 10 to 17 years with a family history of type 2 diabetes. Dietary intake was assessed by two 24-hour recalls. Associations between nutrients and features of the metabolic syndrome were examined using multiple linear regression and analysis of covariance. Log cholesterol intake was positively associated with log systolic blood pressure (beta=0.034, P=0.017) and log soluble dietary fiber intake was inversely associated with log waist circumference (beta=-0.069, P=0.036). Log soluble fiber intake was significantly higher in participants with 0 features compared to those with 3+ features of the metabolic syndrome (P=0.046), which translates to 5.2 g vs 4.1 g soluble fiber daily. No other significant associations were found between dietary variables and either the individual features of the metabolic syndrome or the clustering of metabolic syndrome components. Increases in soluble fiber through the daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, and beans may improve metabolic health in Latino children.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Blood Pressure / physiology
  • Child
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Diet*
  • Dietary Fats / administration & dosage
  • Dietary Fiber / administration & dosage*
  • Feeding Behavior / ethnology
  • Feeding Behavior / physiology*
  • Female
  • Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Mental Recall
  • Metabolic Syndrome / epidemiology*
  • Metabolic Syndrome / etiology
  • Nutrition Surveys
  • Overweight / complications
  • Overweight / epidemiology*
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Solubility
  • Waist-Hip Ratio

Substances

  • Dietary Fats
  • Dietary Fiber
  • Cholesterol