Capillary Glycated Hemoglobin A1c Percentiles and the Risk Factors Associated with Abnormal HbA1c among Chinese Children Aged 3-12 Years

Objective. Capillary glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) may enhance screening for childhood prediabetes and diabetes, but variations in this parameter remain unclear. We aimed to develop percentiles of HbA1c and explore the influence of various variables on HbA1c level among Chinese children. Study Design and Methods. The data were derived from the Shanghai Children's Health and Nutrition Community-based Epidemiologic Survey (CHANCE). A total of 4,615 children aged 3-12 years were included. The capillary HbA1c level was measured using point-of-care (POC) testing analyzers. Abnormal HbA1c level was identified as HbA1c (%) value equal to or above the 95th percentile of the nomograms. Results. The mean HbA1c value was 5.30% (SD = 0.50%). The age-specific 95th percentile thresholds of HbA1c (%) ranged from 5.9 to 6.2 among all children. In the whole participants, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), outdoor activity frequency, and daily sleep duration were positively associated with high HbA1c. Among preschool-aged children, TC and sleep duration >= 10 hr per day were associated with increased risk of being in the higher HbA1c (both P<0.05). Among the school-aged group, positive associations with HbA1c levels were identified for TC, living with grandparents, frequency of outdoor activity, and sleep duration (all P<0.05). Conclusions. The present study established capillary HbA1c percentiles based on a large sample of Chinese children among aged 3-12 years. Daily sleep duration and frequency of outdoor activity, BMI, and TC were found to be associated with high HbA1c. Actions of successful public strategies that focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical exercise to reduce weight among children, are needed. Key Points. We used POC testing for capillary HbA1c with a finger-stick sample which may offer an opportunity to enhance screening and early diagnosis for childhood and adolescent diabetes, which was suggested as an essential premise to determine the subject's glycemic status by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Capillary HbA1c levels fluctuate during childhood, while there has been no population-based study on HbA1c reference values in Chinese youths.