Association of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with psychosocial dysfunction in children and adolescents with obesity

Background: Children with obesity have worse psychosocial functioning compared to their nonoverweight peers. Adult studies suggest that several metabolic factors may participate in the etiology of depression in obesity. Methods: We evaluated the association of several metabolic parameters with psychosocial dysfunction in children with obesity, through a retrospective review of electronic medical records in patients ages 6-17. All parents were asked to complete the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) questionnaire, a validated measurement of psychosocial dysfunction in children. Results: PSC scores were available in 618 patients. Overall, 11.2% of patients had a PSC score ≥28, suggestive of psychosocial dysfunction. Non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was associated with a higher PSC score (p=0.02), after adjusting for age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, and BMI z-score. Conclusions: Consistent with adult studies, in children and adolescents with obesity, non-HDL cholesterol may play a role in the etiology of psychosocial dysfunction. Further studies are warranted.