Prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors in Welsh adolescents

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and clustering of</p> <p>cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Welsh adolescents from different</p> <p>socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnicity. A cohort of 490 boys and 657 girls, aged</p> <p>12.6 + 0.7 years, were assessed for CVD risk factors. Socioeconomic status was</p> <p>determined by school attended, and ethnicity via self-reporting. Measurements included</p> <p>indices of obesity, blood pressure, diet, physical activity, aerobic fîtness, blood lipids</p> <p>and lipoproteins, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and high-molecular</p> <p>weight (HMW) adiponectin. Two or more risk factors were present in 37.4Yo of the</p> <p>cohort, with 32.IYo classed as overweight and 37.2% reported as unfit. Moreover,</p> <p>75.5% consumed diets high in saturated fat and 13.3% had elevated total cholesterol</p> <p>(TC) levels. Low SES adolescents had higher levels of adiposity and higher blood</p> <p>pressure, lower fitness levels, a more atherogenic blood lipid profile and consumed diets</p> <p>lower in fibre content, compared to adolescents from a higher SES. Ethnic minority</p> <p>adolescents had signif,rcantly higher body fat and blood pressure levels, and</p> <p>signihcantly lower fitness levels compared to White adolescents. Overweight</p> <p>individuals had an increased clustering of risk factors. Adiposity was significantly</p> <p>associated with blood pressure and blood lipid measures. However, TC, hs-CRP and</p> <p>HMW-adiponectin were significantly associated with central skinfold measures. Fitness</p> <p>was found to be associated with blood lipids, hs-CRP and HMW-adiponectin. Fibre</p> <p>intake was significantly associated with a greater number of CVD risk factors compared</p> <p>to fat intake. Adolescents from a low SES and/or from an ethnic minority population</p> <p>exhibit a higher number of risk factors compared to White adolescents and those from a</p> <p>higher SES. Future interventions that are developed must target increasing physical</p> <p>activity and fitness levels and decreasing adiposity levels, with special consideration</p> <p>and attention given to those populations with increased prevalence of risk factors.</p>