Prevalence of metabolic abnormalities in the Tunisian adults: a population based study.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of individual metabolic abnormalities and the cluster of metabolic abnormalities in a representative sample of the Tunisian adult population and to identify their relationship with gender, age and residency. The definition used is an adaptation of the NCEP ATP III definition, using total cholesterol>or=5.2 mmol/l instead of HDL-cholesterol.


METHODS
We used a sample of the Tunisian National Nutrition Survey (TNNS), a cross-sectional health survey conducted in 1996, to estimate the nutritional status of the population. The TNNS included 2 927 adults aged 20 years or older who had measurements of height, body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides. The cluster of metabolic abnormalities was defined as the presence of three or more metabolic abnormalities.


RESULTS
The prevalence of abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, high total cholesterol, high blood pressure and high fasting plasma glucose was, respectively, 9%, 23%, 24%, 45% and 15% in men and 33%, 19%, 29%, 44% and 15% in women. The prevalence of the cluster was more frequent in women than in men (18% versus 13%, P<0.001) and in those living in urban communities (21% in women, 16% in men) rather than rural communities (11% in women, 8% in men) (P<0.001). The prevalence also increased significantly with age (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The cluster of metabolic abnormalities and its components are common in the Tunisian adult population and prevalence increases significantly with female sex, urban residency and age.
Bouguerra
R
R
National Institut of Nutrition, Tunis, Tunisia. radhia.bouguerra@rns.tn
Ben Salem
L
L
Alberti
H
H
Ben Rayana
C
C
El Atti
J
J
Blouza
S
S
Gaigi
S
S
Achour
A
A
Ben Slama
C
C
Zouari
B
B
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population
D001786:Blood Glucose