Objective: To describe the prevalence of
metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adolescents and its association with several MetS-related
biochemical markers. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was carried out and data were extracted from the Nutrition and Health Surveillance in Primary and Secondary school students of Beijing (NHSPSB) 2017. Participants were aged 10-15 years old. MetS was diagnosed using the recommended criteria for Chinese adolescents. The associations among MetS, biochemical
biomarkers, and socioeconomic status were estimated by multivariable linear regression. Results: The prevalence of MetS in adolescents in Beijing was 3% in the total sample, 4% in boys, and 2% in girls. Moreover, the prevalence of MetS in the
overweight and
obesity populations were 5% and 12% respectively. The prevalence of MetS remained higher in boys than in girls. The concentrations of
alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum
uric acid (SUA),
low density lipoprotein (
LDL), and
C-reactive protein (CRP) were higher in the MetS children in comparison with non-MetS children (All p < 0.05), while the
high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration was lower in MetS children. After adjusting for socioeconomic parameters in the multivariable regression model, MetS was strongly associated with ALT, SUA, HDL, and
LDL. The five components of MetS indicated that
abdominal obesity and a high serum
triglyceride (TG) concentration were tightly linked with ALT, SUA,
LDL, and CRP; while a low HDL concentration and elevated blood pressure were related to enhanced ALT, UA, and CRP. Additionally, impaired fasting
glucose was only related to increased ALT. Conclusion: The epidemiological issues of MetS in Beijing adolescents should be known across socioeconomic classes. Early intervention strategies, such as dietary pattern interventions and physical excise, should be designed for that population to reduce the disease burdens of
cardiovascular disease (CVD),
Type 2 diabetes (T2D), and
steatohepatitis in adulthood.