Porras-Pérez Esther, Peña-Orihuela Patricia J, Díaz-Cáceres Alberto, Serrán-Jiménez Alejandro, Arenas-Montes Javier, Arenas-de Larriva Antonio P, Alcalá-Díaz Juan F, Lan Fan-Yun, Delgado-Lista Javier, Yubero-Serrano Elena M, Ordovás Jose M, Romero-Cabrera Juan L, Pérez-Martínez Pablo
Lipids and Atherosclerosis Unit, Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research in Córdoba (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Córdoba, Spain.
CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Am J Prev Cardiol. 2025 May 22;22:101012. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpc.2025.101012. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Childhood obesity is a growing public health crisis with significant cardiometabolic and mental health implications throughout life. Socioeconomic adversity, family discord, and childhood stress are strongly associated with a higher prevalence of obesity, disproportionately affecting adolescents from under-resourced families. This study aims to assess the metabolic health and lifestyle behaviors of adolescents in these vulnerable populations and their potential implications for long-term health.
Baseline metabolic characteristics and lifestyle behaviors of 138 adolescents (aged 12-19 years) enrolled in the E-DUCASS program (NCT05379842), a 24-month randomized intervention for food-insecure families, were analyzed. Anthropometric and clinical variables, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity, and screen time were assessed using WHO-aligned, validated methods. Parental health literacy was evaluated for its influence on adolescent behaviors.
Among participants, 43 % were classified as having overweight or obesity, with metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence at 31.9 % (NCEP-ATPIII criteria) and 11 % (IDF definition). Mediterranean diet adherence was poor in 44.2 %, moderate in 53.6 %, and high in only 2.2 %. Physical activity guidelines were met by 8 % of adolescents, while compliance with screen time recommendations was low (14.5 % on weekdays and 7.2 % on weekends). Adolescents whose parents exhibited higher health literacy showed better dietary adherence but no significant differences in other outcomes.
Adolescents from under-resourced families demonstrate poor adherence to healthy behaviors and high rates of obesity and MetS, exceeding levels reported in general European and Spanish cohorts. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions, such as the E-DUCASS program, to address these disparities.
儿童肥胖是一个日益严重的公共卫生危机，对一生的心脏代谢和心理健康都有重大影响。社会经济逆境、家庭不和以及童年压力与肥胖患病率较高密切相关，对资源匮乏家庭的青少年影响尤为严重。本研究旨在评估这些弱势群体中青少年的代谢健康和生活方式行为及其对长期健康的潜在影响。
分析了参与E-DUCASS项目（NCT05379842）的138名青少年（12至19岁）的基线代谢特征和生活方式行为，该项目是一项针对粮食不安全家庭的为期24个月的随机干预项目。使用与世界卫生组织一致的经过验证的方法评估人体测量和临床变量、对地中海饮食的依从性、身体活动和屏幕时间。评估了父母的健康素养对青少年行为的影响。
在参与者中，43%被归类为超重或肥胖，代谢综合征（MetS）患病率根据美国国家胆固醇教育计划成人治疗组第三次报告（NCEP-ATPIII）标准为31.9%，根据国际糖尿病联盟（IDF）定义为11%。44.2%的人对地中海饮食的依从性差，53.6%的人依从性中等，只有2.2%的人依从性高。只有8%的青少年达到了身体活动指南要求，而遵守屏幕时间建议的比例很低（工作日为14.5%，周末为7.2%）。父母健康素养较高的青少年饮食依从性更好，但在其他结果方面没有显著差异。
资源匮乏家庭的青少年对健康行为的依从性较差，肥胖和代谢综合征发生率较高，超过了欧洲和西班牙一般队列报告的水平。这些发现凸显了迫切需要有针对性的干预措施，如E-DUCASS项目，以解决这些差异。
