Association Between Anthropometric Risk Factors and Metabolic Syndrome Among Adults in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies have explored the effect of anthropometric risk factors on metabolic syndrome. However, no systematic effort has explored the effect of overweight and obesity on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in India. Thus, we undertook a meta-analysis to estimate the effect of anthropometric risk factors on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome.

Methods: We searched databases PubMed Central, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane library and search engines ScienceDirect and Google Scholar, from January 1964 through March 2021. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa scale to assess the quality of published studies, conducted a meta-analysis with a random-effects model, and reported pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% CIs.

Results: We analyzed 26 studies with a total of 37,965 participants. Most studies had good to satisfactory quality on the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Participants who were overweight (pooled OR, 5.47; 95% CI, 3.70-8.09) or obese (pooled OR, 5.00; 95% CI, 3.61-6.93) had higher odds of having metabolic syndrome than those of normal or low body weight. Sensitivity analysis showed no significant variation in the magnitude or direction of outcome, indicating the lack of influence of a single study on the overall pooled estimate.

Conclusion: Overweight and obesity are significantly associated with metabolic syndrome. On the basis of evidence, clinicians and policy makers should implement weight reduction strategies among patients and the general population.

Figure 1

Flowchart describing the selection process for the 26 studies (16–41) included in the systematic review of studies on the association between anthropometric risk factors and metabolic syndrome among adults in India.

Figure 2

Forest plot showing the association of overweight (BMI ≥23–≥25) with metabolic syndrome among adults in India based on a systematic review of 15 studies (–,,,,,–37,39,40). The definition of overweight varies among studies. Weights are from a random-effects model. The gray boxes around the point estimates indicate the preciseness of the estimate, the larger the box, the more precise the estimate (the narrower the CI).

Figure 3

Forest plot showing the association of obesity with metabolic syndrome among adults in India, as reported in 21 studies (–,–,–35,37,38,40,41). The definition of obesity varies among studies. Weights are from a random-effects model; continuity connection was applied to studies with zero cells. The gray boxes around the point estimates indicate the preciseness of the estimate, the larger the box, the more precise the estimate (the narrower the CI).