Kuei-Man Lin1, Jeng-Yuan Chiou2, Hsen-Wen Kuo3, Jung-Ying Tan1, Shu-Hua Ko1, Meng-Chih Lee4,5,6,7. 1. 1 College of Nursing, HungKuang University, Taichung City. 2. 2 School of Health Policy and Management, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung City. 3. 3 Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City. 4. 4 College of Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung City. 5. 5 Taichung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare,Taichung City. 6. 6 School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City. 7. 7 Institutes of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, betel-quid chewing, insufficient exercise, and inadequate sleep are significantly correlated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). To further understand this relationship, this study examined the main effect of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and their interaction on MetS by gender in young adults. METHOD: A cross-sectional study involving 694 young adults from a national survey was performed in which demographic characteristics, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, anthropometric measurements, and blood chemistry panels were collected during face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS among young adults was 17.4% and was greater in males than females (19.0% vs. 7.8%). The unhealthy lifestyle-behavior risk factors associated with MetS included smoking (odds ratio [ OR] = 4.53) and physical activity ( OR = 0.51) among males and betel-quid chewing ( OR = 8.90) and less sleep ( OR = 0.08) among females. Significant interaction effects were observed between the abovementioned behaviors and gender for the risk of developing MetS. CONCLUSION: These results can guide health-care providers in reducing MetS risk by encouraging young adult males to reduce or quit cigarette smoking and maintain optimum levels of physical activity and young adult females to quit chewing betel quid and obtain appropriate amounts of sleep.
OBJECTIVE: Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, betel-quid chewing, insufficient exercise, and inadequate sleep are significantly correlated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). To further understand this relationship, this study examined the main effect of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and their interaction on MetS by gender in young adults. METHOD: A cross-sectional study involving 694 young adults from a national survey was performed in which demographic characteristics, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, anthropometric measurements, and blood chemistry panels were collected during face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS among young adults was 17.4% and was greater in males than females (19.0% vs. 7.8%). The unhealthy lifestyle-behavior risk factors associated with MetS included smoking (odds ratio [ OR] = 4.53) and physical activity ( OR = 0.51) among males and betel-quid chewing ( OR = 8.90) and less sleep ( OR = 0.08) among females. Significant interaction effects were observed between the abovementioned behaviors and gender for the risk of developing MetS. CONCLUSION: These results can guide health-care providers in reducing MetS risk by encouraging young adult males to reduce or quit cigarette smoking and maintain optimum levels of physical activity and young adult females to quit chewing betel quid and obtain appropriate amounts of sleep.