Metabolic syndrome and its risk factors among adults residing in urban community in Kerala

Asha KP, Indu D, Beevi F

Pdf Page Numbers :- 66-75

Asha KP^1,*, Indu D² and Fathima Beevi³

¹Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695011, India

²Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Konni, Pathanamthitta, Kerala 689691, India

³Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695011, India

*Corresponding author: Dr. Asha KP, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695011, India. Email: ashasoorej@gmail.com

Received 30 September 2024; Revised 19 November 2024; Accepted 29 November 2024; Published 10 December 2024

Citation: Asha KP, Indu D, Beevi F. Metabolic syndrome and its risk factors among adults residing in urban community in Kerala. J Med Sci Res. 2025; 13(1):66-75. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17727/JMSR.2024/13-12

Copyright: © 2025 Asha KP et al. Published by KIMS Foundation and Research Center. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a complex condition characterized by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and hyperlipidaemia. This cluster of health issues increases the risk of severe diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke. Recognizing its serious impact, the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) of the National Cholesterol Education Programme has identified metabolic syndrome as a significant public health concern in the modern era. The study aims to evaluate the combination of these interrelated health risks makes MS a serious health problem throwing challenges to clinicians and public health specialists.

Methods: A community based cross sectional analytical study was conducted in the urban area of a southern state of India. Relevant information from 342 adult population were collected. ATP III definition of the metabolic syndrome guidelines for South Indian population was used for identifying the metabolic syndrome. Both univariate and multi variable analysis were performed.

Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the adult population residing in the urban area was 41.8%. Major risk factors were age above 40 years, BMI ≥25, elevated cholesterol, Inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetable, Less intake of green leafy vegetables, meat and poultry intake and inadequate physical activity.

Conclusions: Critical factors influencing the prevalence of MS include age, gender and lifestyle choices. These findings emphasize the urgent need for public health interventions focused on promoting healthier lifestyles and regular screening.

Keywords: metabolic syndrome; ATPIII; prevalence; body mass index; dietary habits; cholesterol; lipid profile