title: Gender-dependent associations between socioeconomic status and metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study in the adult Saudi population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine the gender-dependent association of socio-economic status variables with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the adult Saudi population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 9164 adult Saudis (aged 18-70 years) were included in this cross-sectional study. Marital status, income, education, and occupation were used as socio-economic indicators while behavioral factor like physical exercise was also taken into account. MetS was defined using the criteria based from the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In males, the odds ratio (OR) of harboring MetS was higher in married [OR1.6 (Confidence Interval (CI) 1.1, 2.4); p < 0.03], and high income class [OR 2.3(CI 1.5, 3.5); p < 0.001] and lowest in retired and unemployed individuals [1.4(1.0, 1.9); p < 0.04, 0.61(0.45, 0.82); p < 0.001] respectively. In females, MetS was inversely related to high income [OR 0.70 (CI 0.46, 1.1); p < 0.09] and education level [OR 0.38 (CI 0.26, 0.56); p < 0.001], and was significantly higher in the unemployed class [OR 1.6 (CI 1.2, 2.2); p < 0.004].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of MetS is significantly high among retired, married and high-earning Saudi males while in females, high earners and high education seem to confer a protective effect against MetS.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. aldaghri2011@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nasser M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Al-Daghri
authors.forename: Khalid M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Alkharfy
authors.forename: Omar S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Al-Attas
authors.forename: Nasiruddin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Hanan A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Alfawaz
authors.forename: Saad A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alghanim
authors.forename: Mansour A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Al-Yousef
authors.forename: Abdulrahman S M
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Al-Ajlan
authors.forename: Majed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alokail
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
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