Temperament and Metabolic Syndrome Precursors in Children: A Three-Year Follow-up

Background. Cross-sectional and predictive associations between temperament and some essential parameters of the metabolic syndrome were examined in children. Methods. A 3-year follow-up study of 1,589 randomly selected, healthy, 6-, 9-, 12-, and 15-year-old children was used. Somatic parameters studied were serum insulin, serum glucose, serum HDL cholesterol, serum triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and body-mass index. Temperament of the subjects was rated by their mothers using a questionnaire and a semantic differential. Results. Temperamental factors were related cross-sectionally to, as well as predicted for, the metabolic syndrome precursors over the 3-year period. Mental vitality and positive emotionality were likely to be related to a low somatic risk level, whereas hyperactivity, negative emotionality (e.g., aggression and anger), responsivity to others, and cooperativeness were related to a high level of somatic risk. These associations were more evident in boys than in girls. Conclusions. It was suggested that temperament might be of importance in the early development of the metabolic syndrome.