OBJECTIVE: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the hypothesis that the components of the metabolic syndrome are manifestations of a single common factor. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Three different datasets were used to test and validate the model. The Spanish and Mauritian studies included 207 men and 203 women and 1,411 men and 1,650 women, respectively. A third analytical dataset including 847 men was obtained from a previously published CFA of a U.S. population. The one-factor model included the metabolic syndrome core components (central obesity, insulin resistance, blood pressure, and lipid measurements). We also tested an expanded one-factor model that included uric acid and leptin levels. Finally, we used CFA to compare the goodness of fit of one-factor models with the fit of two previously published four-factor models. RESULTS: The simplest one-factor model showed the best goodness-of-fit indexes (comparative fit index 1, root mean-square error of approximation 0.00). Comparisons of one-factor with four-factor models in the three datasets favored the one-factor model structure. The selection of variables to represent the different metabolic syndrome components and model specification explained why previous exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, respectively, failed to identify a single factor for the metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: These analyses support the current clinical definition of the metabolic syndrome, as well as the existence of a single factor that links all of the core components.
OBJECTIVE: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the hypothesis that the components of the metabolic syndrome are manifestations of a single common factor. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Three different datasets were used to test and validate the model. The Spanish and Mauritian studies included 207 men and 203 women and 1,411 men and 1,650 women, respectively. A third analytical dataset including 847 men was obtained from a previously published CFA of a U.S. population. The one-factor model included the metabolic syndrome core components (central obesity, insulin resistance, blood pressure, and lipid measurements). We also tested an expanded one-factor model that included uric acid and leptin levels. Finally, we used CFA to compare the goodness of fit of one-factor models with the fit of two previously published four-factor models. RESULTS: The simplest one-factor model showed the best goodness-of-fit indexes (comparative fit index 1, root mean-square error of approximation 0.00). Comparisons of one-factor with four-factor models in the three datasets favored the one-factor model structure. The selection of variables to represent the different metabolic syndrome components and model specification explained why previous exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, respectively, failed to identify a single factor for the metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: These analyses support the current clinical definition of the metabolic syndrome, as well as the existence of a single factor that links all of the core components.
Authors: Mark M Smits; Pier Woudstra; Kristina M Utzschneider; Jenny Tong; Fernando Gerchman; Mirjam Faulenbach; Darcy B Carr; Kathryn Aston-Mourney; Alan Chait; Robert H Knopp; James B Meigs; Edward J Boyko; Steven E Kahn Journal: Ann Epidemiol Date: 2013-03-25 Impact factor: 3.797
Authors: Anna Viitasalo; Timo A Lakka; David E Laaksonen; Kai Savonen; Hanna-Maaria Lakka; Maija Hassinen; Pirjo Komulainen; Tuomo Tompuri; Sudhir Kurl; Jari A Laukkanen; Rainer Rauramaa Journal: Diabetologia Date: 2014-01-24 Impact factor: 10.122
Authors: Manuel A Gómez-Marcos; María C Patino-Alonso; José I Recio-Rodríguez; Juanjo Antón-Alvarez; Alfredo Cabrejas-Sánchez; Carmen Fernandez-Alonso; Javier Rubio-Galán; Verónica Arce; Luís García-Ortiz Journal: Eur J Nutr Date: 2012-10-16 Impact factor: 5.614