Investigation of the Association Between Vegetable Intake and Being At-Risk for Metabolic Syndrome Among a Hispanic Pediatric Population in Northeast Tennessee

Introduction : Increased vegetable intake has been shown to protect against metabolic syndrome (MetS) among adults. However, limited studies have examined the association between vegetable consumption and MetS among pediatric Hispanic populations. The objective of this study was to explore the association between vegetable consumption and being at risk for MetS among a pediatric Hispanic population of Northeast Tennessee (TN).

Methods : Nutrition, parental, and blood sample data were obtained from 114 Hispanic children aged 2 to 10 years who received care from a community health center in Northeast TN. Being at risk for MetS included having two or more of the following: elevated waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, and low HDL. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between vegetable consumption and being at risk for MetS while controlling for child age, child sex, and parental marital status.

Results : Higher vegetable intake was found to be associated with a 60% decrease in odds of being at risk for MetS (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.16-0.99). Children of parents who were not married were 162% more likely to be at risk for MetS compared to children of parents who were married (95% CI: 1.17-5.88).

Discussion : Higher vegetable intake was associated with decreased odds of being at risk for MetS among this Hispanic pediatric population. Additional studies with a larger sample size are warranted to further understand the relationship of vegetable consumption and their potential protective effects on the development of MetS among this population.