[Influence of the self-reported skin color on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in an urban Brazilian population].
BACKGROUND
The metabolic syndrome (MS) has a high prevalence in different parts of the world, with variations between different ethnic groups.


OBJECTIVE
This study aims at exploring the influence of the self-reported skin color on the prevalence of MS Methods: Cross-sectional study, carried out in a population subgroup (n=1,439 adults) in Salvador, Brazil. The self-reported skin color (white, mulatto or black) was used as well as the MS criterion of ATP-III. The Chi-square test for tendency was used to analyze the prevalence gradient between the groups and logistic regression, for association analysis.


RESULTS
The general prevalence of MS, adjusted for potentially confounder variables, did not differ among whites (23.3%), mulattos (23.3%) and blacks (23.4%). The analysis by sex showed, among men, a reduction in the MS prevalence of whites (26.2%, 95%CI: 20.7-31.7), in comparison to blacks (17.5%, 95%CI: 12.3-22.8) and an intermediate prevalence among mulattos, 21.9%, 95%CI: 18.6-25.1, p tend. = 0.002. Among the women, the tendency was the opposite, being higher among the blacks, 27.0%, 95%CI: 22.2-31.8, and lower among the whites, 20.5%, 95%CI: 15.6-25.4, p tend. = 0.02. The multivariate analysis of the association between skin color and MS (white = group of reference) showed that the black color of the skin was a protective factor among black men, with a prevalence ratio (PR) = 0.60 (0.36-0.97), whereas it tended to be a risk factor among black women, with a PR = 1.33 (0.94-1.78).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of MA presented an inverse variation according to the color of skin between men and women. To be black was a protective factor among men and a risk factor among women.
Barbosa
Paulo José Bastos
PJ
Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brasil. paulojbb@cardiol.br
Lessa
Ines
I
Almeida Filho
Naomar de
Nd
Magalhães
Lucélia Batista N Cunha
LB
Araújo
Jenny
J
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000145:classification*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data