J Korean Acad Fam Med.  2007 Oct;28(10):754-761.

Children and Parental Factors Affecting Cholesterol Levels of First-grade Students in Elementary School in Gwacheon

• Roh SW
• Lee SY
• Kim KN
• Kim HK
• Yoo SM
• Kang JH
• Song JH
• Jung MH

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. Cholesterol level in childhood is related to the development of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. This study aimed to investigate cholesterol levels of first grade students in elementary school, to analyze the relationship between the children's cholesterol levels and those of parents' and to evaluate the factors influencing children's cholesterol levels.
METHODS
In 2004, a sample of 108 first-graders in elementary school in Gwacheon city and their 216 parents were included in this study. Height, weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumference and blood pressure were measured and bio-chemical data were obtained. The children's birth weight, eating habits, physical activity, occupation, educational background, married status, mean monthly income of each family were obtained by questionnaire.
RESULTS
The correlation coefficient between children's cholesterol and fathers' cholesterol was 0.331 (P<0.001). The correlation coefficient between children's cholesterol and mothers' cholesterol was 0.364 (P<0.001). The mean total cholesterol level in children differed significantly according to mother's smoking status, mother's overeating due to stress and mother's diet restriction tendency for weight control. In multiple linear regression analysis of children's cholesterol as dependent variable, the explanation power (R(2)) of the model including children's sex, father's age and cholesterol levels, mother's age and cholesterol levels was 0.281. The explanation power (R(2)) of the other model including variables of the previous model and children's fruit consumption, parent's eating out tendency, mother's smoking status, mother's other behavior during mealtime, mother's overeating due to stress and mother's diet restriction tendency for weight control was 0.388. In final model, only the parent's cholesterol levels had significant effect on children's cholesterol levels.
CONCLUSION
It was parent's cholesterol level that affected significantly on the children's cholesterol level.

Keyword

serum cholesterol; children; family aggregation; hypercholesterolemia

MeSH Terms

Birth Weight
Blood Pressure
Body Weight
Cardiovascular Diseases
Child*
Cholesterol*
Diet
Eating
Fruit
Gyeonggi-do*
Hip
Humans
Hypercholesterolemia
Hyperphagia
Linear Models
Meals
Motor Activity
Occupations
Parents*
Risk Factors
Smoke
Smoking
Surveys and Questionnaires
Cholesterol
Smoke