Fruit and Vegetable Intake, and Metabolic Syndrome Components: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors have been reported in Uganda, but the role of dietary risk factors of MetS is rarely reported. This study examined the association between fruit and/or vegetable (FV) intake and MetS risk factors in adults aged 18–69 years. The data from the 2014 Uganda non-communicable diseases risk factor baseline survey was analyzed. The mean intake of FV according to the number of MetS risk factors and the odds ratios of each component according to quartiles (Q) of FV servings were computed. Overall, 1396 men and 1736 women were analyzed. The mean age was 34.4 years, the mean daily servings of total FV was 2.6 ± 0.1, and 77.7% of participants were diagnosed with at least an MetS risk factor, whereas 2.6% of participants had ≥3 risk factors. Men with ≥3 risk factors consumed less vegetable servings compared to those with one risk factor (0.9 ± 0.1 vs. 1.5 ± 0.1, p < 0.001). Total FV and vegetable intakes were low in women with ≥3 risk factors than in those with none (total FV: 1.4 ± 0.3 vs. 2.2 ± 0.3, p = 0.003; vegetables: 1.1 ± 0.1 vs. 1.4 ± 0.1, p = 0.005). Regarding individual risk factors, higher total FV intake and only fruit intake was unusually associated with higher odds of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) in men (total FV for Q1–Q4, p for trend = 0.025; fruits for Q1–Q4, p for trend = 0.03). Increasing intake of total FV was inversely associated with abdominal obesity in women (Q1–Q4, p for trend = 0.04). In conclusion, we found low consumption of vegetables in both men and women, and low consumption of total FV in women with ≥3 risk factors. In addition, total fruits and vegetable intake was inversely associated with abdominal obesity in women. However, the controversial finding that a high risk of low HDL-c is linked to higher FV or fruit intake in men deserves further research. The results suggest a favorable role of FV intake in MetS risk factors in this population.