Self-reported Questionnaires As Predictors Of Fasting Blood Glucose And Adiposity In Adolescents

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of symptoms (i.e. elevated fasting glucose, hypertension, dyslipidemia, central obesity, and low HDL cholesterol) that elevates the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and Type II Diabetes. While MetS prevalence in adolescents is low, hyperglycemia and adiposity have rapidly increased in the past decade among this population. Impaired fasting blood glucose, the most modifiable predictor of MetS, is the most important in chronic disease prevention. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of self-reported questionnaires (SRQs) in predicting fasting blood glucose (FBG) and adiposity in adolescents, key predictors, and proxies for MetS. METHODS: The study included 137 local high school seniors (70% female, 17 ± 0.5 years, BMI 23.8 ± 4.2 kg/m2, body fat percentage (BF%) 30.6 ± 10.7%). Participants completed SRQs evaluating stress, basic needs, sleep, alcohol use, and diet environment. FBG levels were assessed via blood draw and BF% using Dual Energy X-ray. Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the relationships between SRQs and physiological measures, with significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Perceived stress (r = 0.2, p = 0.012) and sleep impairment (r = 0.15, p = 0.05) was significantly associated with BF%. However, no other associations were observed between SRQs and FBG or BF% (p > 0.05). In addition, the regression models accounted for <1% of variance in BF% (R2adj = 0.01, p > 0.05) and FBG (R2adj = -0.05, p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that SRQs were not effective predictors of FBG or BF% levels. However, higher perceived stress and sleep impairments were associated with greater adiposity, indicating their potential role in increasing body fat. Future interventions targeting stress reduction and sleep may lead to improved health outcomes in this population. Supported by: NIHR15HL159650