Socioeconomic inequalities in metabolic syndrome in the French West Indies

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 1620 - 11
• Main Authors: Colombet, Zoé, Perignon, Marlène, Salanave, Benoît, Landais, Edwige, Martin-Prevel, Yves, Allès, Benjamin, Drogue, Sophie, Amiot, Marie Josèphe, Méjean, Caroline
• Format: Journal Article Paper
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 03.12.2019; BioMed Central; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Caribbean; Chronic diseases; Chronic illnesses; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Diet - adverse effects; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Diet quality; Diet Surveys; Economics and Finance; Education; Female; Food and Nutrition; Food consumption; Food intake; French West Indies; Health Status Disparities; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Life Sciences; Logistic Models; Male; Medical personnel training; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Metabolic Syndrome - etiology; Middle Aged; Obesity; Poverty; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Public assistance; Public health; Public health movements; Quality assessment; Recipes; Regression analysis; Regression models; Retirement benefits; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Social networks; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic inequalities; Socioeconomics; Subgroups; Surveys; West Indies - epidemiology; West Indies; Martinique; Caribbean Islands; France; Guadeloupe; Puerto Rico; Jamaica; United States > US; French West Indies; Socioeconomic inequalities; French West Indies; Caribbean; Diet quality; Food consumption; Metabolic syndrome; consommation alimentaire; social inequality; qualité nutritionnelle; french west indies; antilles françaises; metabolic x syndrome; metabolic syndrome; caraïbes; syndrome métabolique; caribbean; west indies region; inégalité sociale; diet quality; food consumption; aspect socioéconomique; nutritional quality; socioeconomic inquiry; socioeconomic inequalities
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7970-z

Obesity and metabolic diseases represent a major health burden in the Caribbean, particularly since a large part of the population is disadvantaged. However, socioeconomic inequalities in chronic diseases are poorly explored in this region. We investigated the association between socioeconomic position and metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence and explored the contribution of diet quality to explain this association, among adults in the French West Indies. This cross-sectional analysis included 1144 subjects (≥16 y) from a multistage sampling survey conducted in 2013-2014 on a representative sample of the Guadeloupean and Martinican population. MetS prevalence was assessed using the Joint Interim Statement. Dietary intakes were estimated from 24 h-dietary recalls, and diet quality was assessed through the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I). Associations between socioeconomic indicators (education, employment, social assistance benefits) and MetS prevalence, and the potential contribution of diet quality in this association were assessed using multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. MetS prevalence adjusted for age and sex was 21 and 30% among Guadeloupean and Martinican, respectively. Compared to high-educated participants, low-educated subjects were more likely to be at risk of MetS (OR = 2.4; 95%CI = [1.3-4.4], respectively), as were recipients of social assistance benefits compared to non-recipients (OR = 2.0; 95%CI = [1.0-4.0]). The DQI-I explained 10.5% of the overall variation in MetS due to education. Socioeconomic inequalities in MetS prevalence, reflected by education and social assistance benefits, were found. However, diet quality contributed only to socioeconomic inequalities due to education underlining that education may impact health through the ability to generate overall dietary behavior, long-term beneficial. Our work identified subgroups with higher risk of MetS, which is needed when implementing public health measures, particularly in this Caribbean population with of high poverty rates. Further prospective studies are needed to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of social inequalities in MetS in a high poverty rates context.