Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome and Its associated Factors among Elders in a Rural Community

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) and factors associated with it among elders in a rural community. Methods: Data were collected from 683 subjects with a questionnaire, physical measurement, and blood test. The prevalence of the MS was determined by AHA/NHLBI and waist circumference cutoff points for Koreans. Results: The prevalence of the MS was 50.5% in total (41.6% in men, 56.3% in women) while the prevalence of 5 metabolic risk factors was 67.7% for elevated blood pressure, 51.0% for low HDL-cholesterol, and 50.2% for abdominal obesity. Risk factors associated with the prevalence of the MS included family history, BMI, and physical activity; significant factors associated with that of metabolic components included family history, BMI, smoking, drinking, and physical activity. Especially, a higher BMI was a strong risk factor of the prevalence of abdominal obesity as well as the MS and its components. Conclusion: The findings indicate that nurses should care for elders based on each metabolic component regarding its prevalence level and concentrate primarily on reducing elevated blood pressure, low HDL-cholesterol by controlling the main risk factor, abdominal obesity through lifestyle modification.