Table 1.
Characteristics of 378 overweight and obese children and adolescents
| Total (n = 378) | Girls (n = 180) | Boys (n = 198) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 9.3 ± 1.7 | 9.2 ± 1.7 | 9.4 ± 1.8 | 0.326 |
| Pre-pubertal (%) | 18.3 | 15.0 | 21.3 | 0.113 |
| Physical activity (MET/hr./wk) | 13.3 (5.1–31.7) | 8.9 (3.3–17.9) | 20.1 (7.9–41.2) | < 0.001 |
| Watching TV (hour/d) | ||||
| ≤ 1 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 13.9 | 0.024 |
| 2–3 | 38.6 | 45.5 | 32.5 | |
| ≥ 4 | 47.3 | 40.3 | 53.6 | |
| Height (cm) | 139.7 ± 11.0 | 138.9 ± 10.9 | 140.5 ± 11.0 | 0.142 |
| Z-Score Height | 0.86 ± 1.00 | 0.80 ± 1.07 | 0.91 ± 0.93 | 0.291 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.3 ± 3.4 | 22.8 ± 3.2 | 23.8 ± 3.4 | 0.004 |
| Z-Score BMI | 2.55 ± 0.73 | 2.34 ± 0.83 | 2.74 ± 0.83 | < 0.001 |
| Obese (%) | 68.8 | 55.6 | 80.8 | < 0.001 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 80.8 ± 9.5 | 79.4 ± 8.9 | 82.0 ± 10.0 | 0.009 |
| Abdominal obesity (%) | 92.6 | 93.1 | 92.1 | 0.705 |
| Fat mass (%) | 26.3 ± 6.9 | 28.6 ± 4.2 | 24.2 ± 8.1 | < 0.001 |
| Soft-lean mass (kg) | 30.7 ± 7.2 | 29.1 ± 6.6 | 32.2 ± 7.3 | < 0.001 |
| Fasting glucose (mg/dl) | 90.7 ± 9.3 | 91.5 ± 8.6 | 89.9 ± 9.9 | 0.103 |
| Fasting insulin (μU/ml) | 12.4 (8.5–19.0) | 12.9 (9.3–20.6) | 11.9 (7.9–18.2) | 0.085 |
| HOMA-IR | 2.80 (1.92–4.34) | 3.00 (2.02–4.56) | 2.66 (1.67–4.13) | 0.048 |
| QUICKI | 0.333 ± 0.040 | 0.328 ± 0.031 | 0.338 ± 0.046 | 0.023 |
| Carotid intima media thickness (mm) | 0.40 ± 0.057 | 0.40 ± 0.004 | 0.41 ± 0.060 | 0.100 |
BMI body mass index, HOMA-IR homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, QUICKI quantitative insulin sensitivity check index
Quantitative variables were expressed as the mean ± SD or median (interquartile range) and categorical ones as percentages
Abdominal obesity was defined based on national age- and sex-specific 90th percentile (1)