Association between eating speed and metabolic syndrome of children and adolescents

Objective To evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) of children and adolescents in 6 provinces and cities in China,to analyze the relationship between eating speed and MS,and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control strategies of metabolic disease of children and adolescents.Methods A total of 12 958 children and adolescents from 6 provinces and cities of China participated in physical examination,questionnaire survey and blood biochemical tests.The difference between MS and sex,age were evaluated by using t test,and the association between eating speed and MS was evaluated by using multiple Logistic regression model.Results The prevalcncc of MS of children and adolescents aged 7-17 was 4.2% in 6 provinces and cities in China,more boys were detected with MS than girls(x2 =13.65,P<0.05),and the rate increased with the increase of age (x2 =31.26,P<0.05).Abdominal obesity were diagnosed as the commonest MS(22.7%).All the physiological and metabolic indexes showed significant trend from slow eating speed to fast eating speed (P<0.05),except for blood glucose.Results from multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that eating speed was significantly associated with MS and some metabolic abnormalities,and abdominal obesity was of greatest relevance to eating speed.In both boys and girls,slow eating speed was the protective factor of MS(OR=0.311,95%CI=0.199-0.487;OR=0.497,95%CI=0.304-0.814).In Boys,slow eating speed was a protective factor for abdominal obesity,hypertension,low HDL-C,high TAG,while slow eating speed was a protective factor for central obesity,low HDL-C and high TAG in girls.After further adjustment for BMI,all associations disappeared.Conclusion Slow eating speed is a protective factor for MS and some metabolic abnormalities.Attention should be paid to the development of eating habits in the diet intervention among children and adolescents.