Analysis of ghrelin, leptin, and interleukin-6 salivary concentration among children aged 7-10 years and its relationship with nutritional status and some anthropometric data.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a complex condition with multifactorial aetiopathogenesis. Adipose tissue is reservoir of many adipokines which play a great role in proinflammatory response in obesity. Aim of the study: Comparative assessment of ghrelin, leptin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) salivary concentration among children having proper and excess of body mass. Analysis of the interrelationship between the obtained concentrations of substances and selected anthropometric parameters and blood pressure values in the studied children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group comprised 102 children aged 7-10 years. The nutritional status of children was assessed by the use of the BMI index. The control group (n  = 74) comprised children with proper body mass, and the study group (n = 28) contained children having overweight/obesity. Saliva samples were taken from all children at school. Subsequently, some anthropometric parameters and blood pressure values of the children were measured. The laboratory assessment of substances was made by ELISA method. Next, statistical analysis of all obtained results was performed using professional software. RESULTS: Salivary ghrelin, leptin, and IL-6 concentrations were statistically significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p = 0.001). The study revealed a positive correlation between salivary ghrelin concentration and BMI in the whole study population (p = 0.001), and between ghrelin concentration and body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio in all subjects. In the study group, the BMI value was positively correlated only with IL-6 saliva concentration (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed significant differences between saliva ghrelin, leptin, and IL-6 concentration between the control group and the study group. The above findings can be a good predictor with which to detect co-existing metabolic alternations in obese patients.

The Analysis of the Nutritional Status and Dietary Habits among Children Aged 6-10 Years Old Attending Primary Schools in Poland.

A high prevalence of obesity among children is influenced by serious implications. Obesity mainly results from behavioral factors, such as improper dietary habits. This study aims to evaluate the nutritional status and dietary habits of children aged 6-10 (n = 908) attending primary schools in Poland, Europe. The research tool was a questionnaire that was completed by one of the children's parents. A statistical analysis was made using statistical software. The value of p = 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. A total of 74.7% of children surveyed have a normal body mass. As many as 91.7% and 76.6% of children, respectively, eat a first and second breakfast daily. Nearly half of parents (48.9%) state that their child consumes milk or other dairy products daily. A total of 74.3% of children drink water daily. A total of 27.6% eats fish less frequently than once a week. A total of 7.6% of children eat fish several times a week. As many as 20.6% of the respondents state that their child eats brown bread several times a week, whereas 19.9% state that their child never eats brown bread. A total of 55.1% of children eat fruits and/or vegetables daily. A total of 14.1% of children surveyed consume sweets daily. The study revealed a positive correlation between BMI and the frequency of mineral water consumption (p = 0.013) in 9 y.o. girls. It was also revealed that the number of consumed fruit/vegetables increases with the BMI value among 10 y.o. boys (p = 0.044). Conclusions: The dietary habits of the investigated children are still improper. There is a great need for education on this issue, but family involvement is also required.