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Updated: Nov 22, 2025
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Follow-up Evaluation of Association between Weight Changes, Metabolic, and Hormonal Outcomes in Children - a
Ioana Țaranu1, Sorana D Bolboacă1, Victoria Creț2
1Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Insights
This study in Romanian children found that while blood glucose decreased, fasting insulin levels increased and were linked to abdominal circumference. Obesity markers like BMI-for-age z-score correlated with inflammation and cholesterol levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Metabolic Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Romanian guidelines mandate fasting blood glucose, insulin, and lipid profiles for obese children.
- Previous Romanian pediatric obesity studies primarily focused on epidemiology and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate metabolic and hormonal changes in overweight and obese children.
- To correlate these changes with bodyweight modifications during follow-up.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical charts from January 2017 to March 2019.
- Evaluation of anthropometric measures (BMI, waist circumference) and blood tests (inflammatory markers, metabolic parameters, insulin, cortisol).
Main Results:
- In 22 overweight/obese children, blood glucose decreased and fasting insulin increased post-monitoring.
- Fasting insulin levels correlated with waist circumference (ρ=0.58, p=0.030).
- BMI-for-age z-score associated with C-reactive protein at baseline (ρ=0.70, p=0.036) and HDL cholesterol at follow-up (ρ=-0.52, p=0.033).
Conclusions:
- Fasting insulin levels in obese children are associated with abdominal circumference.
- High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and C-reactive protein levels correlate with BMI-for-age z-score in this population.
Introduction:
Fasting blood glucose, insulin level, and lipid profile are the minimal tests according to the Romanian guidelines to evaluate obese children. Cross-sectional studies for pediatric obesity in Romania focused only on epidemiology and management.
Aim:
Our study aimed to evaluate the metabolic and hormonal changes in association with follow-up bodyweight modifications.
Materials And Methods:
Medical charts of overweight or obese children presenting at the First Paediatric Hospital, Cluj-Napoca from January 2017 to March 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Anthropometric measures [e.g., body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference] and blood tests such as inflammatory markers (e.g., white blood cell and neutrophil absolute/relative counts, C-reactive protein), metabolic parameters (e.g., liver enzymes, uric acid, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol), fasting blood insulin, and cortisol levels were evaluated.
Results:
Twenty-two overweight or obese children (17 girls, median age of 13 years) monitored on median for 7.5 months were in-cluded in the study. Blood glucose level significantly decreased (p=0.010) and fasting insulin levels increased (p=0.051) at follow-up evaluation, independently of BMI-for-age z-score. Fasting insulin levels were associated with waist circumference (Spearman's rank cor-relation coefficient) ρ=0.58, p=0.030). BMI-for-age z-score proved to be associated with the C-reactive protein level at baseline (ρ=0.70, p=0.036, n=9) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol at follow-up (ρ=-0.52, p=0.033, n=17).
Conclusions:
Present analysis found changes in fasting insulin levels in relation to the abdominal circumference and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and C-reactive protein levels in relation to BMI-for-age z-score in obese children.
