Background: Metabolic syndrome has the highest prevalence among Mexican-American women. Little information is available for Caribbean Hispanics, the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States. We sought to evaluate the frequency of metabolic syndrome and its relationship with race/ethnicity, socioeconomic position, and education in women of largely Caribbean Hispanic origin.
Methods: There were 204 women enrolled in a cross-sectional study who had demographics, fasting glucose, lipid profile, waist circumference, and blood pressure determined. Metabolic syndrome (defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III [NCEP/ATP III]) was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression to test age, race/ethnicity, education, health insurance, and residence on the risk of metabolic syndrome. A P value <0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Mean age was 58 +/- 11 years, Hispanic 44.1% (93% Caribbean), non-Hispanic white (NHW) 38.7%, and non-Hispanic black 9.8%. Education was some high school (<HS) 33.7%, HS graduate 11.2%, some college 12.9%, college graduate 10.1%, and postgraduate 32%. Health insurance was Medicaid 47.8% and commercial 52.2%. Area of residence was urban 77.1% and suburban 22.9%. The frequency of metabolic syndrome was 42.4%, and was increased in Hispanic women (63.3%) versus NHW (29.6%), women with <HS (72.6%) versus postgraduate education (32.1%), women with Medicaid (57.9% vs. 27.4%) and urban residence (47.5% vs. 27.2%). For all comparisons, P < 0.05. Education <HS was linked to increased risk of metabolic syndrome (odds ratio [OR] = 3.5 [1.2-10.0], P = 0.02). Hispanic women had the lowest level of education (P < 0.001) and the highest frequency of individual metabolic syndrome components (P < 0.01).
Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome showed an alarming rate in less educated Caribbean Hispanic women and was independently associated with lower education level.