Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among ethnic groups in China

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 297 - 8
• Main Authors: Qin, Xuzhen, Qiu, Ling, Tang, Guodong, Tsoi, Man-Fung, Xu, Tao, Zhang, Lin, Qi, Zhihong, Zhu, Guangjin, Cheung, Bernard M. Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 06.03.2020; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Abdomen; Age; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular disease; China; Cholesterol; Demographic aspects; Diabetes; Ethnic group; Ethnic groups; Ethnicity; Exercise; Gender; Health aspects; Laboratories; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic syndrome X; Minority & ethnic groups; Physical fitness; Physiology; Population; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Provinces; Quality control; Questionnaires; Risk factors; Studies; Triglycerides; China; United States > US; Japan; Metabolic syndrome; China; Ethnic group
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-8393-6

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is common in China, which has a multi-ethnic population of 1·3 billion. We set out to determine the prevalence of MetS and its components in different ethnic groups. This nationwide cross-sectional survey involved 24,796 participants from eight ethnicities in six provinces in China from 2008 to 2011. MetS was defined using the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Results were analysed using SPSS version 22·0 in 2018. Logistic regression was used for deriving odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of risk factors for the MetS. The prevalence of MetS increased with age from 3·60% to 21·68%. After age standardization, the prevalence of MetS, in descending order, was 35·42% (Korean), 22·82% (Hui), 19·80% (Han), 13·72% (Miao), 12·90% (Tujia), 12·04% (Li), 11·61% (Mongolian), 6·17% (Tibetan). Korean ethnicity was associated with a higher prevalence in five components of MetS, while Tibetan ethnicity was associated with lower prevalence except decreased HDL cholesterol. Logistic regression analyses showed that age, drinking and being non-Tibetan were associated with a higher risk of MetS. Within one country, albeit a large one, the prevalence of MetS can vary greatly. Chinese of Korean ethnicity had a much higher prevalence than Tibetan ethnicity. Measures to tackle MetS should be tailored to the ethnic groups within a population.