Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and associated risk factors among Korean adolescents: analysis from the Korean national survey.

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and to identify the associated risk factors of MS among Korean adolescents. A total of 606 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years from the third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES) in 2005 participated in a community-based and cross-sectional survey through face-to-face interviews. The authors defined pediatric MS using the modified National Cholesterol Educational Program-Adult Treatment Panel III. The overall weighted prevalence of MS in Korean adolescents was 13.0% (15.4% boys, 10.0% girls). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, boys, adolescents with body mass index (BMI) greater than the 85th percentile, and adolescents who watched TV for more than 2 hours per day were significantly more likely to have MS. These findings suggest that lifestyle modification focusing on weight control by increasing physical activity is important for the prevention of MS in adolescents.