Prevalence and pattern of dyslipidaemia among Nigerian adolescents living in Benin City: A school-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in the paediatric population can be associated with an increased rate of dyslipidaemia, a modifiable metabolic risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and describe the pattern of dyslipidaemia among overweight/obese and normal-weight students aged 10 to 16 years, living in Benin City, Nigeria. Method: In this case-control study, a total of 98 students comprising 49 subjects with high BMI (≥ 85th percentile) and 49 controls with normal BMI (5th to <85th percentile), matched for age and gender and from similar socio-economic and ethnic background were investigated. The first public school in a list of alphabetically arranged secondary schools was selected. Thereafter, the students were randomly selected. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were determined, using an automated analyzer with commercially available kits. Results: Of the 98 students who were investigated, there was at least one “abnormal” lipid concentration in 31 (63.3%; 95% Confidence interval (CI) = 49.8-76.8) adolescents with overweight/obese and the corresponding prevalence of 51% (95% CI = 43.9-58.1) in adolescents with normal BMI; p-value >0.05. Among overweight/obese participants, the prevalence of dyslipidaemia was significantly higher in girls than boys (p <0.05) The frequency of borderline-low HDL-C in overweight/obese and normal-BMI participants was 18.4% and 16.3%, respectively. In both overweight/obese and normal-BMI participants, the most common type of dyslipidaemia was low HDL-C with a prevalence of 62.3% (95% CI= 55.6-69.2) and 51.0% (95% CI=43.9-58.1) in overweight/obese and normal-BMI participants, respectively (p >0.05). Conclusions: A high proportion of adolescents with either overweight/obesity or normal BMI had dyslipidaemia with the former having a higher proportion. Low HDL-C level was the most common abnormality in dyslipidaemia.