title: Assessing clustering of metabolic syndrome components available at primary care for Bantu Africans using factor analysis in the general population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To provide a step-by-step description of the application of factor analysis and interpretation of the results based on anthropometric parameters(body mass index or BMI and waist circumference or WC), blood pressure(BP), lipid-lipoprotein(triglycerides and HDL-C) and glucose among Bantu Africans with different numbers and cutoffs of components of metabolic syndrome(MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a cross-sectional, comparative, and correlational survey conducted between January and April 2005, in Kinshasa Hinterland, DRC. The clustering of cardiovascular risk factors was defined in all, MS group according to IDF(WC, BP, triglycerides, HDL-C, glucose), absence and presence of cardiometabolic risk(CDM) group(BMI,WC, BP, fasting glucose, and post-load glucose).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 977 participants, 17.4%( n = 170), 11%( n = 107), and 7.7%(n = 75) had type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM), MS, and CDM, respectively. Gender did not influence on all variables. Except BMI, levels of the rest variables were significantly higher in presence of T2DM than non-diabetics. There was a negative correlation between glucose types and BP in absence of CDM. In factor analysis for all, BP(factor 1) and triglycerides-HDL(factor 2) explained 55.4% of the total variance. In factor analysis for MS group, triglycerides-HDL-C(factor 1), BP(factor 2), and abdominal obesity-dysglycemia(factor 3) explained 75.1% of the total variance. In absence of CDM, glucose (factor 1) and obesity(factor 2) explained 48.1% of the total variance. In presence of CDM, 3 factors (factor 1 = glucose, factor 2 = BP, and factor 3 = obesity) explained 73.4% of the total variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MS pathogenesis may be more glucose-centered than abdominal obesity-centered in not considering lipid-lipoprotein , while BP and triglycerides-HDL-C could be the most strong predictors of MS in the general population. It should be specifically defined by ethnic cut-offs of waist circumference among Bantu Africans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nasila Sungwacha
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Longo-Mbenza
authors.forename: Jean Bosco Kasiam
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lasi On'Kin
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gombet
authors.forename: Rajiv T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Erasmus
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011320:Primary Health Care