Inter- and intra-ethnic group comparison of metabolic syndrome components among morbidly obese adolescents

This study explored inter- (between) and intra- (within) ethnic group differences in metabolic syndrome components among a clinical sample of morbidly obese (body mass index [BMI] > or =97th percentile for age and sex) 12- to 18-year-olds originating from Latin America and the Caribbean Basin and a matched (age/ethnicity/sex/BMI percentile) national sample (N=208, both samples) of Mexican American and non-Hispanic blacks from the 1999 to 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Mexican American and non-Hispanic black boys from the NHANES/national sample had significantly higher mean fasting glucose levels compared with Latin and Caribbean blacks (98.50 vs 85.42 mg/dL, 97.34 vs 86.44 mg/dL, respectively, (P< .001 for both comparisons). Conversely, both diastolic/systolic blood pressure was consistently higher among Latin/Caribbean adolescents vs Mexican American and non-Hispanic blacks for all age/sex/ethnic groups. These results indicate that morbidly obese adolescents from both major ethnic groups and subgroups within these groups show health-related comorbidities in both clinic- and population-based settings.