A Cross-Sectional Study of Socioeconomic Status and the Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults

Purpose Socioeconomic status may influence the risk of the metabolic syndrome. We investigated the association between socioeconomic status and the metabolic syndrome in Korean adults. Methods We analyzed a total of 8,541 subjects ages 20 to 79 years who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001. Socioeconomic status was measured by education and income level. Results The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among this population was 29%. Relative to women with educational level <7 years, those with educational levels of 7 to 9 years, 10 to 12 years, and >13 years had odds ratios for the metabolic syndrome of 0.92 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73 to 1.16), 0.55 (95% CI: 0.44 to 0.70), and 0.31 (95% CI: 0.22 to 0.43), respectively (p for trend <0.05). Relative to women with lower income, those with middle and upper income had odds ratios for the metabolic syndrome of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.75 to 1.08) and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.66 to 0.97), respectively (p for trend <0.05). A significant association between the metabolic syndrome and socioeconomic status was not observed in men. Conclusions Lower socioeconomic status was associated with a higher risk of the metabolic syndrome in Korean women but not in Korean men.