Urine Microalbuminuria in Obese Comparing with Healthy Children

Background: Obesity is a global problem and is associated with pathophysiological mechanisms related to kidneys which may result in microalbuminuria. The aim of this study was to compare the microalbuminuria in obese and normal-weight children. Methods: In this descriptive analytical study, 200 children in two groups of obese and normal-weight investigated. Children who met the study criteria were enrolled and their age, gender and BMI were recorded. Then levels of urinary albumin and creatinine were measured and albumin-to-creatinine ratio were calculated. The two groups were compared using chi-square and t-test. Results: In this study, 45% of obese children and 52% of normal children were boys. In terms of gender and age group, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P-value = 0.396 for gender and P-value = 0.502 for age-group). The overall prevalence of microalbuminuria in the study population was 8.5%. The prevalence in obese children (13%) was more than normal-weight children (4%) (P-value = 0.040). Further analysis stratified by sex and age-group showed a higher significant mean value of urine microalbuminuria in obese compared to normal-weight children among girls (P-value = 0.004) and among children in 12-19 years of age (P-value = 0.033). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the obesity in children is associated with higher prevalence of microalbuminuria.