Study on the association between macronutrients intake and abdominal obesity in Chinese children and adolescents aged 7-17 years

Objective  To explore the effect of macronutrient energy supply ratios on precentral obesity/central obesity in children and adolescents. Methods  A cross-sectional study was conducted on children and adolescents aged 7-17 year. Dietary and waist circumference data were collected from the six rounds of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) during 1997 to 2011. According to the research criteria of National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, precentral obesity/central obesity in children and adolescents was determined. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between macronutrient energy supply ratios and precentral obesity/central obesity. Results  After adjusting confounders, the group with more than 30% fat supply increased the risk of precentral obesity/central obesity (OR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.12-1.48) compared with the group with fat energy supply less than 25%. Compared with the protein energy ratio less than 10% group, the ratio greater than or equal to 15% group increased the risk of precentral obesity/central obesity (OR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.19-1.82). The risk ofprecentral obesity/central obesity were both decreased in the 55% to 65% group (OR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.64-0.87) and ratio greater than or equal to 65% group (OR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.58-0.80) compared with the group with a carbohydrate energy supply ratio of less than 55%. The increased risk of precentral obesity/central obesity was greater in boys with protein energy ratio greater than or equal to 15% than in girls (OR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.31-2.41, interaction P=0.011). Conclusion  Dietary structure of children and adolescents with lower carbohydrate energy ratio and higher fat and protein energy ratio increase the risk of precentral obesity/central obesity.