Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its individual components in Brazilian college students

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To identify the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its individual components in a population of college students at a public higher education institution in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Background: Scientific evidence has demonstrated the ascent of the metabolic syndrome in the young population.

Design: Cross-sectional study of 702 Brazilian college students between January-July 2011.

Methods: Socio-demographic indicators, life habits and the components of the metabolic syndrome were assessed. anova statistical tests were used to associate gender with the metabolic syndrome components, and the chi-square test to associate the number of metabolic syndrome components with gender and body mass index.

Results: High fasting venous glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL-C levels were found in 12·3, 23·0, 9·7 and 5·9% of the sample, respectively. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome amounted to 1·7%. Nevertheless, 30·4% of students manifested at least one and 12·4% at least two individual components. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was higher in men (58·3%) and in people who were overweight (33·3%) and obese (41·7%). It is important to implement public health policies to reduce college students' vulnerability to the metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions: Most college students who displayed ≥3 metabolic syndrome components were men and already indicated being overweight and/or obesity.

Relevance to clinical practice: It is important that nurses assess the frequency of metabolic syndrome in college students as a predictor of cardiovascular health.