Ocena wybranych wskaźników stanu zdrowia populacji dziecięcej powiatu kutnowskiego pod kątem ryzyka rozwoju chorób układu sercowo-naczyniowego

Introduction. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the adult population. The prevention of cardiovascular diseases depends to a great extent on eliminating risk factors already present in early childhood, thus avoiding secondary cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to evaluate selected indicators of health status as risk factors for the development of CVD in a paediatric population from Kutno district as part of the project: ‘You live for yourself and others — take care of your health’. Material and methods. The study included 101 children aged from one to 11 years. All children underwent a physical examination. Based on a questionnaire conducted among the parents of the children, information was obtained regarding perinatal history, physical activity, time spent in front of a television, computer or tablet, eating habits, exposure to passive smoking and any family history of CVD. Laboratory tests were also performed, including a lipid profile. A 12-lead electrocardiogram and a screening echocardiographic examination were carried out. Results. On physical examination, 9.9% of the children were observed to be overweight and 12.87% to be obese. In 3.96% of this group of children, arterial hypertension was observed. In laboratory tests, significant abnormalities were observed in the lipid profiles. Of the children with an abnormal lipid profile, 11.5% were also found to be overweight or obese or with hypertension. The questionnaire revealed that the average daily time the children spent in physical activity was 4.15 hours. More than half of the children ate fast food occasionally or regularly. Exposure to passive smoking was revealed in 15.84% of the children, and a family history of CVD was identified in 17.82% of the children. Conclusions. The health of Kutno district children is similar to the health of children from other developed countries. Despite better physical activity and normal glucose values, other risk factors did not differ significantly from other paediatric populations.