Table 1.
Characteristics of a cohort of 97 pediatric subjects recruited to complete NaCl and MSG taste detection thresholds.
| Characteristic | Pediatric subjects | p-Valuea | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All children (N=97) | Normal weight (N=47) | Overweight/obese (N=50) | ||
| Age, years [mean (SEM)] | 10.5 (0.2) | 10.4 (0.3) | 10.7 (0.3) | 0.40 |
| Race [% (n)] | 0.12 | |||
| Black | 51.5 (50) | 48.9 (23) | 54.0 (27) | |
| White | 16.5 (16) | 25.5 (12) | 8 (4) | |
| Asian | 2.1 (2) | 2.1 (1) | 2 (1) | |
| Other | 29.9 (29) | 23.4 (11) | 36 (18) | |
| Ethnicity [% (n)] | 0.62 | |||
| Hispanic/Latino | 12.4 (12) | 10.6 (5) | 14.0 (7) | |
| Female [% (n)] | 54.6 (53) | 59.6 (28) | 50 (25) | 0.34 |
| BMI [mean (SEM)] | 21.4 (0.6) | 17.4 (0.3) | 25.1 (0.8) | <0.01 |
| BMI z-score [mean (SEM)] | 0.94 (0.1) | 0.04 (0.1) | 1.8 (0.1) | <0.01 |
| Waist circumference [cm; mean (SEM)] | 72.8 (1.5) | 63.4 (0.8) | 81.6 (2.1) | <0.01 |
| Waist-to-height ratio [cm/kg; mean (SEM)] | 0.49 (0.01) | 0.44 (0.005) | 0.55 (0.01) | <0.01 |
| Percent body fat [mean (SEM)] | 33.5 (1.2) | 24.2 (0.9) | 42.3 (1.1) | <0.01 |
| Systolic blood pressure [mmHg; mean (SEM)] | 111.4 (1.1) | 107.8 (1.3) | 114.8 (1.5) | <0.01 |
| Diastolic blood pressure [mmHg; mean (SEM)] | 66.0 (0.6) | 65.9 (0.9) | 66.0 (0.8) | 0.97 |
| Blood pressure category [% (n)] b | 0.35 | |||
| Normal | 70.1 (68) | 74.5 (35) | 66.0 (33) | |
| Prehypertensive | 10.3 (10) | 8.5 (4) | 12.0 (6) | |
| Hypertensive | 19.6 (19) | 17.0 (8) | 22.0 (11) | |
| Valid dietary recall [% (n)] | 74.0 (73) | 76.6 (36) | 74.0 (37) | 0.97 |
| Dietary intake [mean (SEM); range)]c | ||||
| Energy intake, kcal/day | 2260.9 (91.4) (1168.0 – 4540.5) |
2090.9 (108.9) (1168.0 – 3979.8) |
2426.2 (142.2) (1338.8 – 4540.5) |
0.07 |
| Sodium, mg/day | 3820.9 (176.0) (1702.5 – 8001.5) |
3432.0 (241.4) (1702.5 – 8001.5) |
4199.2 (242.9) (1947.3 – 7254.6) |
0.03 |
| Sodium densityd | 1697.9 (45.4) 638.6 – 2762.6 |
1637.9 (69.0) 638.6 – 2640.9 |
1756.3 (58.8) 1123.6 – 2762.6 |
0.19 |
| Sodium mg/kg body weight | 93.0 (6.0) 35.3 – 352.1 |
103.9 (10.3) 37.7 – 352.1 |
82.5 (5.9) 35.3 – 183.9 |
0.07 |
| Completion of task [% (n)] | 0.16 | |||
| Completed both MSG and NaCl thresholds | 75.3 (73) | 80.9 (38) | 70.0 (35) | |
| Completed threshold for either MSG or NaCl | 21.6 (21) | 17.0 (8) | 26.0 (13) | |
| Did not complete either MSG or NaCl threshold | 3.1 (3) | 2.1 (1) | 4.0 (2) | |
| Socioeconomic Characteristicse | ||||
| Family income, % (n) | 0.09 | |||
| <$15,000 | 21.6 (21) | 10.6 (5) | 32.0 (16) | |
| $15,000–35,000 | 41.2 (40) | 46.8 (22) | 36.0 (18) | |
| $35,000–75,000 | 25.8 (25) | 29.8 (14) | 22.0 (11) | |
| >$75,000 | 11.3 (11) | 12.8 (6) | 10.0 (5) | |
| Highest level of education [mother; % (n)] | 0.10 | |||
| Grade school | 4.1 (4) | 6.4 (3) | 2.0 (1) | |
| High school | 45.4 (44) | 38.3 (18) | 52.0 (26) | |
| Trade school | 9.3 (9) | 12.8 (6) | 6.0 (3) | |
| College | 37.1 (36) | 34.0 (16) | 40.0 (20) | |
| Graduate school | 4.1 (4) | 8.5 (4) | 0.0 (0) | |
a
Unadjusted p-values were generated from independent t-tests comparing the means of normal weight and overweight/obese children.
b
Blood pressure categories were determined according to the National High Blood Pressure Education Program guidelines for classifying hypertension among children28.
c
Intake data are from one testing day and were collected using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Recall, beta version (2009)29. Data included in the table are excluding underreporters eliminated with the Goldberg cutoff.
d
Sodium density is calculated as (total mg sodium consumed/total kcal consumed) × 1000.
e
Reported by mother.