An investigation of the association between obesity, acanthosis nigricans, and fasting serum insulin level in 6-9 year old children living on the El Paso-Juarez United States-Mexico border
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between fasting serum insulin levels and Acanthosis Nigricans (AN) (a dermatological condition characterized by hyperpigmentation and thickening of the skin in specific body areas such as the neck and knuckles) and obesity among 6 to 9 year old children. Children were selected at random from a pediatric clinic located on the U.S.-Mexico border. Because none of the children participants had a weight for height at or above the 97th percentile of the CDC growth charts, obesity was defined as weight for height at or above the 95th percentile and at risk of overweight between the 85 th and 95th percentiles of the CDC growth charts. Anthropometrics, blood samples for fasting serum insulin and blood glucose, and a picture of the neck were obtained at baseline (n = 85) and 6 months later (n = 49). None of the children partipating had high fasting serum insulin levels and only 2 children had AN degree 2 (moderately severe). At baseline children with a weight for height at or above the 95th, percentile had 15 units less of insulin than children who weighed less. However, 6 months later this was not confirmed, thus the baseline result is considered to be an anomaly. Eventhough statistical significance was not reached, results showed that children without AN had 5 percentiles lower weight for height than children with AN. The most important recommendation from this study is the need to monitor longitudinal growth in children to characterize the individual child's growth pattern. AN seems to be related to longitudinal growth changes.
Subject Area
Nutrition|Public health
Recommended Citation
Anchondo, Ines M, "An investigation of the association between obesity, acanthosis nigricans, and fasting serum insulin level in 6-9 year old children living on the El Paso-Juarez United States-Mexico border" (2006). Texas Medical Center Dissertations (via ProQuest). AAI3241392.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dissertations/AAI3241392