Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its associated risk factors among staffs in a Malaysian public university

Abstract

Public health systems are concerned with the commensurate rise of metabolic syndrome (MetS) incidence across populations worldwide, due to its tendency to amplify greater risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases within communities. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS and its associated risk factors among staffs in a Malaysian public university. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 538 staffs from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) between April and June 2019. MetS was defined according to JIS “Harmonized” criteria. A questionnaire that consisted of items on socio-demographics, lifestyle risk behaviors and personal medical history information was administered to participants. Subsequently, a series of physical examination and biochemical assessment was conducted at the hall or foyer of selected faculties in the university. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted using SPSS version 22.0. Multivariate models were yielded to determine the risk factors associated with MetS. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. The overall prevalence of MetS was 20.6%, with men having greater prevalence than women (24.9% vs. 18.3%). Prevalence of MetS increased with age. Factors contributed to MetS in the overall sample were BMI, hypertension, diabetes and physical activity of moderate intensity. Diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with MetS in men, whereas BMI, diabetes and hyperlipidemia were significantly associated with MetS in women. Lifestyle behaviors and cardio-metabolic risk factors were associated with MetS for the overall sample, and across genders.

The Pattern of Cardiovascular Disease Risks Among Working People (18-64 Years) via a Nationwide Household-Based Survey in Malaysia

“…Younger age with CVD may have increase sick leave usage and affect the work quality and produtivity. In terms of gender, this study found that males were more likely to have hypertension and smoked tobacco The concurrent ndings had the same results with pprevious studies [17], [33]. Females had higher odds of getting hypercholesterolemia, obesity and being physically inactive, which may contribute to a higher risk of CVD at later age [34].…”

“…In terms of working sectors, the government & semi-government sector workers had higher odds of multiple CVD risks such as diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking and obesity as found in previous studies [17], [32], [43]. There are many possible reasons for this nding, such as older age and sedentary working.…”

“…It is considered a work-related disease (WRD) due to the indirect and multifactorial causes such as sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work, hereditary factors and occupational characteristics [14]. The burden of CVD among workers was estimated from previous studies in certain occupations such as mining workers [15], [16], public servants [17], healthcare workers [18], farmer [19], industrial sector workers [20] and community restaurants' food handlers [21]. Those who worked in the forest faced stressful working conditions with limited access to healthcare facilities [22], while truck drivers may have maladaptive behavior [23] to meet their job demands.…”

Criterion Validity and Psychometric Properties of a Malay Version of the Short Multidimensional Inventory Lifestyle Evaluation-Confinement (SMILE-C) in a Sample of University Staff with Weight Problems

“…In stage one, participants were required to complete a self-administered questionnaire that consisted of items on socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age) and health status. The description for this study can be found elsewhere [ 19 ]. In stage two, participants were asked to complete questions on quality of life, mindfulness, work engagement, family life satisfaction, subjective well-being, and lifestyle.…”

Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life amongst Employees in a Malaysian Public University

“…The moderate physical activity level was defined as 3 or more days of vigorous-intensity activity of at least 20 min/day, 5 or more days of moderate-intensity activity or walking for at least 30 min/day, or 5 or more days of any combination of walking, moderate-intensity, or vigorous-intensity activities to achieved a minimum of at least 600 MET-minutes/week. Respondents were classified as having a low physical activity level if they did not meet either of the two criteria above [31][32][33][34]. Health-related information, such as employees' comorbid conditions (diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia), was based upon self-reported measures as diagnosed by a medical doctor, or if they were currently under treatment with antihypertensives, oral hypoglycemics, or lipid-lowering drugs.…”