Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome Risk Is Increased with Higher Infancy Weight Gain and Decreased with Longer Breast Feeding
Table 1
Background characteristics of study participants by gender.†
Males ()
Females ()
P value*
Infancy characteristics
Gestational age (weeks)
40 (38–40)
40 (39-40)
0.22
Birth weight (kg)
3.50 (3.28–3.78)
3.44 (3.22–3.72)
0.05
Birth length (cm)
51.0 (50.0–52.0)
50.0 (49.0–51.5)
<0.01
Weight at 3 months (kg)
6.43 (6.00–6.99)
6.00 (5.61–6.40)
<0.01
Weight gain 0–3 months (kg)
2.85 (2.43–3.28)
2.42 (2.15–2.75)
<0.01
Total years of maternal education
10 (8–12)
10 (8–12)
0.52
Exclusively breastfed ≥90 days
45.9
50.6
0.37
Adolescent characteristics and metabolic risk factors‡
Age (years)
16.6 (16.6–16.9)
16.7 (16.6–16.9)
0.15
BMI percentile
64.0 (38.6–88.2)
74.9 (46.0–89.9)
0.10
Waist circumference (cm)
78.2 (73.3–87.9)
79.7 (72.2–88.1)
0.83
Elevated percentage
16.0
49.0
<0.01
Triglycerides (mg/dL)
71.6 (55.8–99.2)
73.0 (57.2–104.4)
0.77
Elevated percentage
7.2
8.0
0.78
HDL cholesterol (mg/dL)
34.1 (28.5–40.5)
40.0 (32.5–48.3)
<0.01
Low HDL (%)
28.2
24.0
0.29
Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg)
115 (107–125)
107 (102–114)
<0.01
Elevated percentage
8.3
4.4
0.09
Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg)
70 (67–76)
68 (61–71)
<0.01
Elevated percentage
3.9
0.6
0.03
Glucose (mg/dL)
90 (84–96)
86 (80–92)
<0.01
Elevated percentage
11.6
9.1
0.44
MetS risk z-score
0.01 (−0.23–0.40)
−0.26 (−0.53–0.02)
<0.01
MetS prevalence
11.6
9.1
0.45
Family factors
Family history of type 2 diabetes
15.3
14.4
0.82
Family history of hypertension
42.3
40.6
0.76
Family history of dyslipidemia
33.6
45.5
0.04
Family history of heart attack
8.3
5.1
0.29
†Values are in median (interquartile range) or percentage. *Statistical tests are either Mann-Whitney U or Chi-square.
‡According to the International Diabetes Federation definition [24].