Age, Gender, and Socioeconomic Gradients in Metabolic Syndrome: Biomarker Evidence from a Large Sample in Taiwan, 2005-2013

• Published in: Annals of epidemiology Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. 315 - 322.e2
• Main Authors: Wu, Hania F., PHD, Tam, Tony, PHD, Jin, Lei, PHD, Lao Bmed, Xiang Q., PHD, Chung, Roger Yat-Nork, PHD, Su, Xue F., ScD, Zee, Benny, PHD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.05.2017
• Subjects: Adult; Age Distribution; Age heterogeneity; Aged; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - ethnology; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Biomarkers - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; Educational Status; Female; Gender heterogeneity; Health Surveys; Humans; Income; Internal Medicine; Male; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Sex Education; Smoking - epidemiology; Social Class; Socioeconomic status; Taiwan; Taiwan - epidemiology; Age heterogeneity; Socioeconomic status; Metabolic syndrome; Taiwan; Gender heterogeneity
• ISSN: 1047-2797; 1873-2585
• DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2017.04.003

Purpose To examine the age and gender heterogeneities in the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with biomarker data from Taiwan. Methods Subjects included 102,201 men and 112,015 women aged 25 and above, from the 2005-2013 MJ Health Survey in Taiwan. SES was measured by education and family income. MetS was defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria (ATP III) for Asian population. Logistic regression analyses were performed by age and gender groups. Results (1) Higher education level was associated with significantly lower risk of MetS. (2) Higher income was associated with lower MetS risk among women aged under 65 but no association among men of all ages. (3) SES gradients were generally much stronger among women than among men of the same age group. (4) SES gradients reduced over the life course with the exception that income gradient remains flat among men of all ages. Conclusions Among Chinese in Taiwan, the gender and age heterogeneities in the SES gradients in MetS are similar to those reported for western societies. This cross-cultural convergence is broadly consistent with the general hypothesis that social conditions are fundamental causes of diseases and health disparities.