Gender Differences Relevant to Metabolic Syndrome in a Working Population in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand

Background: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing in the Thai working population. Thus, there is a need for an analysis of factors relevant to metabolic syndrome comparing the differences between females and males to improve, prevent, and reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome in the working population. Objective: To investigate the factors and the prevalence to identify gender-specific risk factors for MetS. Materials and Methods: The authors performed a cross-sectional study of 2,076 working adults living in the Phetchaburi Province in Central Thailand, defining MetS according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. The authors used a self-administered structured questionnaire to collect the data, and calculated odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) stratified by gender. Results: The median age of participants was 50 years. The overall prevalence of MetS was higher in females (28.13%) than males (22.25%). MetS was associated with high body mass index (BMI), education, and exercise in both genders. Advanced age was a MetS risk factor in males (adjusted OR 3.22, 95% CI 1.42 to 7.32, p=0.005). The main MetS protective factors in females were nutrition literacy (adjusted OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.99, p=0.046) and behavior (adjusted OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.62, p<0.001). Conclusion: MetS risk factors are gender specific. Therefore, gender-specific public health strategies are required to prevent MetS. Keywords: Metabolic syndrome; Gender differences; Thai working