INSULIN SENSITIVITY AS AN INDEPENDENT PREDICTOR OF FAT MASS GAIN IN HISPANIC ADOLESCENTS
- Tanja C Adam, Ph. D.,
- Claudia Toledo-Corral,
- Christianne J Lane, Ph. D.,
- Marc J Weigensberg, M. D.,
- Donna Spruijt-Metz,
- Jaimie N. Davies, Ph. D. and
- Michael I Goran, Ph. D. (goran{at}usc.edu)
- Departments of Preventive Medicine, Physiology, Biophysics, and Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between changes in insulin sensitivity and subsequent changes in fat mass in obese Hispanic children over three consecutive years.
Research Design and Methods: In a longitudinal research design insulin sensitivity (SI) of 96 research participants was determined at baseline and 1 year later. Body adiposity was assessed at all four assessments.
Results: The change in SI during the first study year was a significant predictor of further fat mass development (p < 0.05). Considering different directions of SI change, SI was a strong predictor for further fat mass development only in the group that decreased their SI (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: The results show the direction of change in insulin sensitivity at an early age as an important independent predictor for further fat mass development and emphasize the importance of insulin sensitivity as a primary target for long term obesity prevention as well as the significance of early age intervention.
Footnotes
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- Received May 6, 2009.
- Accepted July 27, 2009.
- Copyright © American Diabetes Association
