Objectives: Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among different occupations and investigate the association between working status and the metabolic syndrome among Taiwanese workers. Methods: The study was based on a nation-wide population-based survey that included 6, 095 men and women living in Taiwan. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the modified NECP ATP Ⅲ criteria. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among workers in Taiwan was 19.4% for men and 14.8% for women. The high risk occupations for metabolic syndrome were sales workers among men and agricultural workers among women. After adjusting for age, the male agricultural worker's risk was 0.48 (95% CI=0.25-0.92), which is lower than for men who are not working. For female professional workers, the risk was 0.60 (95% CI=0.35-0.99), which is lower than for women who are not working. Furthermore, blood pressure and waist girth are important risk factors that are able to predict metabolic syndrome, with odds ratio of 8.66 and 12.21 in men and 10.37 and 14.20 in women (p<0.001), respectively. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the urgent need to develop strategies for the detection and prevention of metabolic syndrome among Taiwanese who work in high risk industries. Such efforts will contribute to decreasing the incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus type 2.
Objectives: Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among different occupations and investigate the association between working status and the metabolic syndrome among Taiwanese workers. Methods: The study was based on a nation-wide population-based survey that included 6, 095 men and women living in Taiwan. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the modified NECP ATP Ⅲ criteria. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among workers in Taiwan was 19.4% for men and 14.8% for women. The high risk occupations for metabolic syndrome were sales workers among men and agricultural workers among women. After adjusting for age, the male agricultural worker's risk was 0.48 (95% CI=0.25-0.92), which is lower than for men who are not working. For female professional workers, the risk was 0.60 (95% CI=0.35-0.99), which is lower than for women who are not working. Furthermore, blood pressure and waist girth are important risk factors that are able to predict metabolic syndrome, with odds ratio of 8.66 and 12.21 in men and 10.37 and 14.20 in women (p<0.001), respectively. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the urgent need to develop strategies for the detection and prevention of metabolic syndrome among Taiwanese who work in high risk industries. Such efforts will contribute to decreasing the incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus type 2.