A study of blood cholesterol and related risk factors in primary school children of Duhok governorate, Kurdistan region, Iraq

Abstract EN

Objective: To determine blood cholesterol levels and related risk factors of hypercholesterolemia in a sample of primary school children from Duhok governorate.

Methods: A cross sectional- study of 1136 primary school children (572 males, 564 females) aged 6-10 years; from December 2013 to May 2014 was conducted.

A structured questionnaire was used to get information relating to animal fat intake, social status; and family history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

The children were examined for height, weight, blood cholesterol levels and the body mass index (BMI) were calculated.

Hypercholesterolemia defined according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines.

A cutoff point of < 170 mg/dl of total cholesterol used to classify children as on desirable level, borderline 170-199 mg/dl and high > 200 mg/dl.

Results: The mean blood cholesterol was 154.4±35.8 mg/dl with a range of 76-278 mg/dl.

Desirable, borderline and high blood cholesterol levels were defined in 745(65.6%), 286(25.2%) and 105(9.2%) children, respectively.

Of 1136 children, 50(4.4%) were overweight; mean blood cholesterol in overweight was 181.2 mg/dl compared to 153.8 mg/dl in not overweight children (P < 0.01).

Mean blood cholesterol levels were not significantly different by age, gender, positive family history of children for diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, animal fat intake/week and social status.

Odds ratio of having high blood cholesterol levels in overweight children compared to not overweight children was 2.14 (95%Cl 1.21-3.78).

Conclusions: A borderline or abnormal blood cholesterol level screened by the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines (AAP) values defined in one third of primary school children.

Overweight was the major risk factor for elevated blood cholesterol in primary school children from Duhok governorate.