title: A decision tree-based approach for identifying urban-rural differences in metabolic syndrome risk factors in the adult Korean population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to explore the difference in the pattern of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in urban and rural populations in Korea using data mining techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 1013 adults >30 yr of age from urban (184 males and 313 females) and rural districts (211 males and 305 females) were recruited from Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. Modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria were used to identify individuals with MetS. We applied a decision tree analysis to elucidate the differences in the clustering of MetS components between the urban and rural populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of MetS was 33.2% and 35.2% in urban and rural districts, respectively (p=0.598). The decision-tree approach revealed that the combination of high serum triglycerides (TG) + high systolic blood pressure (SBP), high TG + low HDL cholesterol, and high waist circumference (WC) + high SBP + high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were strong predictors of MetS in the urban population, whereas the combination of TG + SBP + WC and SBP + WC + FPG showed high positive predictive value for the presence of MetS in the rural population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although no significant difference was found for the prevalence of MetS between the two populations, the differences in the clustering pattern of MetS components in urban and rural districts in Korea were identified by decision tree analysis. Our findings may serve as a basis to design necessary population-based intervention programs for prevention and progression of MetS and its complications in Korea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Center, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: H-R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Rhee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003663:Decision Trees; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055105:Waist Circumference