Association Between Insulin Resistance and Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1, and Blood Lipid Profiles in Children With Obesity.

AIMS/

Background

Obesity in children was associated with insulin resistance (IR) and is often accompanied by dyslipidemia. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-(OH)D) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) have been implicated in IR. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between IR and serum 25-(OH)D, IGF-1, and blood lipid profiles in children with obesity.

Methods

A total of 125 children with obesity who attended The Affiliated Yangming Hospital of Ningbo University between January 2023 and April 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. According to insulin sensitivity, participants were divided into two groups: the insulin-sensitive group (n = 56, Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance [HOMA-IR] <3.16) and the insulin-resistant group (n = 69, HOMA-IR ≥3.16). Serum 25-(OH)D, IGF-1, and lipid profiles [triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)] were measured. Binary logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to investigate the association between IR and these biomarkers.

Results

Fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels were significantly higher in the insulin-resistant group than in the insulin-sensitive group (p < 0.001). Compared with the insulin-sensitive group, levels of 25-(OH)D, IGF-1, and HDL-C were significantly lower in the insulin-resistant group (p < 0.001, p = 0.032, and p = 0.023, respectively), while TG and LDL-C levels were significantly higher (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in TC levels between the two groups (p = 0.334). Multivariate analysis identified 25-(OH)D (odds ratio [OR] = 0.934, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.877-0.995, p = 0.035), IGF-1 >238.68 (OR = 0.303, 95% CI: 0.103-0.894, p = 0.031), TG (OR = 3.979, 95% CI: 1.461-10.835, p = 0.007), and LDL-C (OR = 2.625, 95% CI: 1.398-4.928, p = 0.003) as independent factors associated with IR in children with obesity. ROC analysis showed that the areas under the curves (AUCs) for 25-(OH)D, IGF-1, TG, LDL-C, and the combined indicator were 0.692, 0.612, 0.775, 0.747, and 0.856, respectively (p < 0.001, p = 0.025, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001).

Conclusion

In children with obesity, serum 25-(OH)D, IGF-1, TG, and LDL-C are significantly associated with IR.