Frequency of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome in healthcare workers and their awareness levels about these entities

OBJECTIVES
We investigated the frequency of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and abdominal obesity and evaluated the level of awareness about these two conditions in healthcare workers.

STUDY DESIGN
A total of 723 healthcare workers (372 physicians, 247 nurses, 104 other healthcare staff; mean age 32.8±8.2 years) from four centers were included. Demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical data were recorded, lifestyle features were inquired, and the levels of awareness about abdominal obesity and MetS were surveyed. The criteria recommended by the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III were used for the diagnosis of abdominal obesity and MetS. The presence of MetS was evaluated in 178 subjects. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the association between lifestyle features and abdominal obesity.

RESULTS
The frequency of abdominal obesity was 13.8% and it was significantly higher in males than in females (19.1% vs 10.6%; p=0.002). Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 14 participants (7.9%), and there was no significant difference between men and women in this respect (p>0.05). The cut-off values for abdominal obesity and at least three criteria of MetS were correctly listed by 47 participants (6.5%) and 240 participants (33.2%), respectively, with physicians showing significantly higher awareness levels (p=0.001). In multivariate analysis, age ≥40 years and male gender were significantly associated with abdominal obesity.

CONCLUSION
Our results demonstrate that only a minority of healthcare workers are cognizant of MetS as a clinical syndrome and the definition of abdominal obesity.