Prevalence and factors associated with metabolic syndrome in vulnerable population in northern Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: metabolic syndrome (SM) is a set of metabolic imbalances that are associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, in addition to other chronic non-communicable diseases. SM has been gaining prominence in the scientific community mainly due to link with the increase of the obesity epidemic in the world. Objective: To analyze the factors associated with metabolic syndrome and its prevalence in a vulnerable population in the Northern Region of Brazil. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with artisanal fishers from the state of Tocantins, and data collected between 2016 and 2017 were used. The outcome variable for MS was defined according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation. The following variables were assessed: socioeconomic and demographic information, fish consumption, and smoking. For statistical and data analysis, the Shapiro–Wilk test, Poisson regression, Student's t-test, and interquartile regression were evaluated. Results: The general prevalence rate (PR) of MS was 31.9% higher in women than in men. The factors associated with MS were economic class and smoking, and there was an association between socioeconomic class and smoking (p=0.015). The most prevalent component was abdominal obesity with a rate of 62.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 54.5, 70.5). The prevalence of MS in terms of sex (PR=2.27, 95% 1.04 CI, 4.92, p=0.037), smoking (PR=2.40, 95% CI, 30, p=0.003) and years of professional experience (>10 PR=2.07, 95% CI 1.06, 4.05, p=0.033) was also assessed. Conclusion: In the present study, the prevalence of SM was associated with smoking and socioeconomic status, which is considered high when compared to the worldwide prevalence. These findings highlight the importance of looking at public policies so that health services can develop actions that generate greater adherence to good health practices by the population. Introdução: A síndrome metabólica (SM) é um conjunto de desequilíbrios metabólicos que estão associados ao desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares, diabetes mellitus tipo 2 além de outras doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. A SM vem ganhando destaque na comunidade científica principalmente por sua ligação com o aumento da epidemia de obesidade no mundo. Objetivo: Analisar os fatores associados à síndrome metabólica e sua prevalência em população vulnerável da Região Norte do Brasil. Método: Trata-se de um estudo transversal com pescadores artesanais