Korean J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr.  2010 Sep;13(2):172-179. 10.5223/kjpgn.2010.13.2.172.

Clinical Significance of Abdominal Fat Distribution in Korean Male Children and Adolescents

• Lee YJ
• Kim KM
• Oh SH
• Park HS
• Myong JP

• KMID: 1459433
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5223/kjpgn.2010.13.2.172

Abstract

PURPOSE
Visceral adipose tissue may be strongly linked to increased metabolic risks in adults. However, because little is known regarding the effect of visceral adipose tissue in children and adolescents, we performed this study to determine the association between abdominal fat distribution and metabolic risk factors in this population.
METHODS
One hundred one children and adolescents (78 males and 23 females; mean age, 10.8+/-2.4 years) were enrolled. The anthropometric data and metabolic risk factors were evaluated. Theabdominal fat distribution was assessed according to the CT measurement. Age-adjusted, partial correlations were performed among the visceral adipose fat area (VFA), subcutaneous adiposefat area (SFA), metabolic risk factors, and anthropometrics.
RESULTS
The SFA increased more rapidly than the VFA with advancing years in both genders. In males, the VFA and SFA were positively correlated with anthropometrics. The VFA was correlated with low HDL-cholesterol and the SFA was correlated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP). However, there was no statistical significance between the VFA, SFA, anthropometrics, and other metabolic risk factors. The VFA and SFA were strongly linked to a number of metabolic risk factors, such as other anthropometrics.
CONCLUSION
This study investigated how a low HDL-C was correlated with VFA and how a high DBP was associated with SFA in Korean male children and adolescents. Our results suggest that the correlation between the VFA, SFA, and metabolic risk factors was relatively weak compared to that reported in previous adult studies.

Keyword

Obesity; Children; Adolescents; Abdominal fat; Visceral fat; Subcutaneous fat; Metabolic syndrome

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Fat
Adolescent
Adult
Blood Pressure
Child
Humans
Intra-Abdominal Fat
Male
Obesity
Risk Factors
Subcutaneous Fat

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Scatter plots showed the visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) according to age and gender (left, male right, female). The SFA increased more rapidly compared to the VFA with advancing years in both genders.

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  Fig. 2 Scatter plots showed a negative linear association between the visceral fat area (VFA) and HDL-cholesterol. Age-adjusted multivariate regression model identified R2 as 0.322 and p-value as <0.001 between logVFA and HDL-cholesterol.

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