Ethnic Group Differences in Cardiometabolic Disease Risk Factors Independent of Body Mass Index among American Youth

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this analysis was to identify any ethnic group differences in the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease risk factors independent of body mass index (BMI) in United States youth. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data on 3,510 boys and girls ages 8-to-11 years old from the 1999–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed to determine the prevalence of one or ≥ 3 cardiometabolic disease risk factors: abnormal waist circumference and systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), increased concentrations of fasting triglyceride and decreased concentrations of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol before and after adjusting for BMI. RESULTS: Abnormal waist circumference and HDL-cholesterol significantly differed by ethnic group before and after adjusting for BMI (P<0.01). Non-Hispanic blacks were significantly less likely to have abnormal HDL cholesterol concentrations than were Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites, but non-Hispanic whites were significantly more likely to have elevated triglycerides and three or more abnormal cardiometabolic risk factors than non-Hispanic blacks. CONCLUSIONS: These findings point to ethnic group disparities not related to BMI alone, even in children as young as 8-to-11 years old. Programs to prevent and treat eventual cardiometabolic disease in children could be tailored for specific ethnic backgrounds as a result.