Association of dietary habits with general and abdominal obesity in Korean children and adolescents: cluster analysis of nationwide population survey data

• Published in: Frontiers in endocrinology (Lausanne) Vol. 15; p. 1424761
• Main Authors: Yun, Ye-Jin, Kwon, Yu-Jin, Lee, Yaeji, Heo, Seok-Jae, Lee, Ji-Won
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 04-09-2024
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; child obesity; Cluster Analysis; clustering analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Endocrinology; Feeding Behavior; Female; Humans; lifestyle; Male; Nutrition Surveys; nutritional education; Nutritional Status; Obesity, Abdominal - epidemiology; Pediatric Obesity - epidemiology; Prevalence; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Republic of Korea; nutritional education; diet; child obesity; clustering analysis; lifestyle
• ISSN: 1664-2392; 1664-2392
• DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1424761

Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern, but few studies have investigated dietary factors specifically related to obesity and abdominal obesity in children and adolescents. Herein, we aimed to identify the dietary factors affecting childhood obesity in Korean children and adolescents.
Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES) VIII were analyzed using K-means clustering analysis to identify distinct clusters based on nine variables related to dietary habit, nutritional status, and nutritional education. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between incident obesity risk and the different clusters. We enrolled 2,290 participants aged 6-18 years, and separated them into two distinct clusters; Healthy and Unhealthy Dietary Habit Groups, clusters 1 and 2, respectively.
Cluster 1 was characterized by a lower obesity prevalence, healthier dietary habits (regular breakfast consumption; fruit and vegetable, reduced total energy, and lower protein and fat intakes), and greater nutritional education than Cluster 2. After adjusting for confounders, compared with Cluster 1, Cluster 2 demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence (OR [95% CI]) of both general and abdominal obesity (1.49 [1.05-2.13], p=0.027 and 1.43 [1.09-1.88], p=0.009).
Maintaining optimal dietary quality and patterns are crucial to prevent childhood obesity. Further research is warranted to explore specific dietary interventions tailored to different clusters to effectively address childhood obesity.