Objective: To investigate the relationship between blood cholesterol and triglyceride, birthweight and central obesity in pre-school children, after controlling for height and body mass index.
Methods: This was a longitudinal population-based study in south-west England. Research clinics were held when the children were 31 and 43 months of age, where anthropometric measurements were made and a non-fasting blood sample was taken and analysed for triglyceride, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol values were calculated using the Friedewald equation. Central obesity was estimated using the ratio of waist circumference:arm circumference (WC:AC).
Results: Complete blood lipid and anthropometric data were available for 385 children at 31 months and 470 children at 43 months. Height was negatively associated with the concentration of triglyceride, and total and LDL cholesterol. There was little evidence for a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and blood lipids at either 31 or 43 months. The only significant relationship between birthweight and blood lipids was a negative association with HDL (and consequently a positive association with the ratio of total:HDL cholesterol) in boys at 43 months. Adjustment for current height and BMI had little effect on the associations between birthweight and blood lipid concentrations. WC:AC was positively associated with triglycerides and negatively associated with HDL values in boys, and had a quadratic relationship with LDL concentrations among girls. These relationships were unchanged or became stronger on adjustment for current height and body mass index.
Conclusion: In the pre-school child, central obesity has a relationship with triglyceride and HDL concentrations that is independent of current height and BMI. We have found no evidence that increasing birthweight is associated with a more favourable blood lipid profile at 31 and 43 months.