Associations of nitric oxide with obesity and psychological traits among children and adolescents in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND

Findings concerning nitric oxide (NO) in children and adolescents with obesity are scant.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the links of NO with obesity and psychological traits (ie, self-concept, anxiety, depression, anger and disruptive behaviour) in children and adolescents in Taiwan.

METHODS

A total of 564 first, fourth and seventh graders (314 children with overweight/obesity and 250 children with normal weight) completed an in-hospital health examination in 2010. All students received a physical examination, underwent blood sample collection and completed a questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed for analyses.

RESULTS

Among the fourth and seventh graders (P=.003 and.001, respectively), the students with overweight/obesity displayed significantly higher levels of NO than those with normal weight; however, no difference was observed in males and females. In multiple linear regression models, a high level of anxiety was independently associated with low NO levels (β=-1.33, 95% confidence interval -2.24 to -0.41) in first graders who with overweight/obesity. No association between NO levels and psychological traits was evident among students with normal weight.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results enrich the limited data and suggest that NO may be associated with obesity and psychopathology and should be a concern in the pathophysiology of childhood mental health and obesity.