Prevalence and Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome among the Homeless in Taipei City: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Ming Gu,Chi-Jie Lu,Chih-Kuang Liu,Ching-Lin Chen,Mingchih Chen,Tian-Shyug Lee

doi:10.3390/ijerph18041716

Abstract

The safety and health of homeless people are important social issues. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a sub-health-risk phenomenon that has been severely aggravated worldwide in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of MetS among the homeless in Taipei City, Taiwan. In this study, a convenience sampling was conducted at homeless counseling agencies in Taipei City from April 2018 to September 2018. A total of 297 homeless participants were recruited, from whom clinical indicators and questionnaire information were collected. Through statistical verification, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression, we found the following main conclusions for homeless adults in Taipei: (1) The prevalence of MetS was estimated to be 53%, with 50% meeting four or more diagnostic conditions. (2) Dyslipidemia (high-density lipoprotein (HDL) deficiency and elevated triglyceride (TG)) showed the strongest association with the prevalence of MetS; more than 83% of people with HDL deficiency or hypertriglyceridemia had MetS. For the patient groups meeting more MetS diagnostic conditions, the values of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), TG, and total cholesterol (TC) increased significantly. (3) The deterioration of MetS was significantly related to the high prevalence of hyperlipidemia (HL). (4) The homeless who were divorced, separated or widowed were more likely to suffer from MetS.

Highlights

Based on national reports as of the end of 2019, it was estimated that no less than 150 million people in the world, or about two percent of the world’s population, were homeless [1]
Among the homeless accommodated by the homeless counseling agencies, a convenience sampling was conducted, and a total of 297 homeless adults volunteered to participate in the survey, accounting for 44.4% of Taipei city’s homeless population, with sample male-to-female ratio 77.4%:22.6%
A (HAV), 35 persons with hepatitis B (HBV), 31 with hepatitis C (HCV), 7 with syphilis, and 1 person tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Summary

Introduction

Based on national reports as of the end of 2019, it was estimated that no less than 150 million people in the world, or about two percent of the world’s population, were homeless [1]. The health problems of the homeless mainly originated from poverty and lack of safety, malnutrition, poor hygiene habits, exposure to low temperatures, smoking and alcohol abuse, and lack of medical resources [7,8]. They were more likely to suffer from mental illness, respiratory diseases, metabolic syndrome (MetS), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and various infectious diseases, among which MetS was more common in the homeless and was an indirect risk factor of other diseases [9,10]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion