Birthweight and its association with cardiometabolic risk parameters in rural Maya children from Yucatan, Mexico

Julio Lara-Riegos, Hugo Azcorra, Juan Carlos Salazar-Rendón, Víctor Arana-Argáez, María Teresa Castillo-Burguete, Nina Mendez-Dominguez

Annals of Human Biology, 51(1). 

https://doi.org/10.1080/03014460.2024.2323037

ABSTRACT
Background: Knowledge about the influence of early developmental factors on cardiometabolic healthin the Maya is limited.Aim: To analyse the relationship between birthweight (BW) and cardiometabolic parameters in a sampleof rural Maya children from Yucatan, Mexico.Subjects and methods: We took anthropometric measurements and obtained data on BW and fastingblood samples in a sample of 75 children aged 5–14 years. Dependent variables were: fat mass index(FMI), body mass index (BMI), glucose (G), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoproteincholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), LDL/HDL and TC/HDL ratios and metabolicindex (TGxG/HDL2). Outcomes were transformed to y = 100 log(e)x and the resulting estimates areinterpreted as symmetrical percentage differences. The main independent variable was BW z-score.Multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between BW and outcomes.Results: An increase of one standard deviation in BW predicted 6.6% (95% CI [–11.6, −1.6]) decrease inHDL and 11% (95% CI [3.7, 18.4]), 7.8% (95% CI [2.3, 13.2]) and 19.6% (95% CI [3.1, 36]) increases in LDL/HDL, TC/HDL and metabolic index, respectively.Conclusion: Higher birthweights were associated with adverse levels of biochemical parameters in thissample of rural Maya children.