Association of short stature and obesity with cardio-metabolic risk factors in Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-V study

The object of the present study was to examine the relationship of short stature and obesity with cardio-metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents from Iran. Present nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted as a part of the fifth survey of CASPIAN study on 7 to 18 years old children and adolescents from 30 provinces of Iran in 2015. Short stature and excess weight were defined as age and sex-specific height lower than 5th percentile and BMI higher than 85th percentile respectively. The multivariate logistic regression model was applied to assess the aim of the study. A total of 3844 children and adolescents (52.4%: boys, 72.2%: urban areas) with an average age of 12.45 ± 3.04 years were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of short stature, excess weight and combined-short stature and excess weight was estimated as 15.8%, 17.6% and 2.2%. Odds of abdominal obesity in children with only short stature (OR: 2.11, 95%CI: 1.59–2.80), only excess weight (OR: 17.38, 95%CI: 13.89–21.75) and combined-short stature and excess weight (OR: 22.83, 95%CI: 13.93–37.39) were higher than children with normal-height and weight. Moreover, odds of high BP and metabolic syndrome were further in the students with combined excess weight and short stature compared to the normal-height and weight group. We found that abdominal obesity, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome in short stature and obese children and adolescents were greater than those with normal-height and weight. Further prospective evaluations are required to clarify the association between short stature and cardio-metabolic risk factors.