Prevalence and influencing factors of metabolic syndrome among rural adult population in a district of South India.

Background: Metabolic syndrome has increased globally due to sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets and obesity, which is posing a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Understanding the determinants of metabolic syndrome like lifestyle factors, socioeconomic status and the environment are vital for devising effective prevention and management. Research into these determinants helps to identify high-risk populations and develop interventions to reduce its occurrence. Objectives: i. To estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the adult population. ii. To determine the factors associated with metabolic syndrome among the adult population. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 410 adults (≥18 years). A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data and National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III criteria was used to diagnose metabolic syndrome. Continuous and categorical data were represented as mean and proportion, respectively. The strength of the association was determined using the prevalence ratio and adjusted prevalence ratio. Results: The mean age of the participants was 44.97 ± 14.7, about 58.3% of them were females. Metabolic syndrome prevalence was 39.8%. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that being over 40 years old, marital status, higher socioeconomic status, skilled workers, physical inactivity and obesity were independently linked to metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: The burden can be reduced by identifying the risk factors at the early stage through screening and by adopting a healthy lifestyle.