Comparison of metabolic syndrome prevalence using three different definitions: A population-based study in Peru

Abstract

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is important for public health; however, there are different ways to define it. Objectives: 1) to estimate the prevalence of MetS using three different definitions: the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII), 2) to identify the factors associated with the presence of MetS according to each criterion, and 3) to evaluate the agreement between these three. Materials and Methods: A secondary and cross-sectional analysis of the database from the Life Stages Food and Nutrition Surveillance Survey (VIANEV) was conducted. For the definition of MetS, the aforementioned definitions were used. A multivariable Poisson regression analysis with robust variance and agreement was evaluated through the Kappa index. Results: According to ATPIII, IDF, and WHO, the prevalence of MetS was 42.60%, 46.78%, and 49.49%, respectively. The agreement between IDF with WHO and ATPIII criteria was 0.42 and 0.45, while for ATPIII and WHO it was 0.44. In general, the associated factors were identified as sex, marital status, age, region of residence, level of physical activity, smoking habit, and body mass index (BMI). However, the association of these varied according to the definition used. Conclusion: The prevalence of MetS varies significantly according to the criteria used. This was higher when the WHO definition was used compared to the others. Additionally, the associated factors varied according to the definition used, although consistency was observed across all definitions of BMI.