PS 15-06 GENDER SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND METABOLIC SYNDROME IN THE KOREAN POPULATION

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Objective: This study aims to investigate the gender-specific associations between socioeconomic status and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults. Design and Method: We examined the relationship between socioeconomic status and the prevalence of MetS in 4,689 Korean adults aged 20 to 79 years (2,024 men and 2,665 women) who participated in the 2013 Korean National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey. Occupation status was classified as none, manual, non-manual based on a self-reported questionnaire. Marital status was classified as single, married, divorced, and widowed. A modified Asian criterion based on a harmonized definition of MetS was adopted. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for MetS were calculated using multiple logistic regression models. Results: Prevalences of MetS in men and women were 30.9% and 24.8%, respectively. Significant differences in the association between marital status, occupational status, education, and MetS were found between males and females. Compared with the married men, the ORs (95% CIs) for MetS in single and divorced men were 0.447 (0.310–0.645) and 1.612 (1.018–2.554), respectively after adjusting for covariates such as age, smoking status, alcohol drinking, and exercise status. However, in women, there was no significant association with marital status and MetS. Compared with the lowest household income group and the lowest educated group (< 7 years) in women, the ORs for MetS in the highest income and the highest educated group (>12 years) were 0.631 (0.461–0.864) and 0.460 (0.315–0.670), respectively. Conclusions: Marital status was significantly related to the prevalence of MetS in men, but not in women. Economy and education status was related to the prevalence of MetS in women, but not men. These findings suggest that gender-specific public health interventions that consider socioeconomic status are needed for targeting MetS prevention and treatment.