Metabolic Syndrome and Its Associated Factors Among Faculty Members in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Puducherry: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study.

Abstract

Background: Settings-based approach has received lot of attention under WHO renewed strategy of health promotion. It advocates regular screening/health check-ups of employees to maintain a healthy workplace. This study aimed to assess prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among faculty members and its association with selected sociodemographic, behavioral and biochemical parameters, and to determine the 10-year fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular risk using WHO-ISH risk chart. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 252 teaching faculty members using standardized international protocols to measure behavioral risk factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, diet pattern, physical activity, sleep, and stress), physical characteristics (weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, and blood pressure), and biochemical parameters (fasting glucose and lipid profile). Risk factor profiling was done using WHO/ISH risk prediction chart. Results: Among 252 participants (males: 172 and females: 80), 58 (24.1%) were with MetS. Prevalence was higher in males (24.6%) than females (22.6%). The younger doctors (≤40 years) had lesser prevalence of MetS compared with the elderly (>40 years) doctors (20.3% vs. 26%). Age and diet pattern were found to be independently associated with MetS. The risk of having a cardiovascular event in 10 years was <5% (low risk) for 87.5% of study participants. Conclusion: Although we included doctors who are probably the most health-conscious population, we have found that one in four have a chance of having MetS. There is a need for periodic screening program and lifestyle modification strategies to control the burden of MetS among doctors.