title: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among Roma: a comparative health examination survey in Hungary.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of our study was to compare the health status of the Roma people with that of the general population in Hungary.
  
  
  METHODS
  A health examination survey to define the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components was performed in a representative random sample (n = 646) of the Roma population aged 20-64 years living in segregated colonies, and data were compared with that obtained in a representative random sample (n = 1819) of the Hungarian population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The risks for central obesity, hypertension and raised triglyceride level among Roma adults were not different from the Hungarian references, while raised fasting plasma glucose or known type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.65, 95%CI 1.90-3.69), reduced HDL cholesterol level or treated lipid disorder (OR = 2.15, 95%CI 1.65-2.79) were significantly more frequent in all age groups in the Roma sample. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.37, 95%CI 1.03-1.83) was also significantly higher among Roma than in the general Hungarian population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Besides tackling the socio-economic determinants of the poor health of Roma people, specific public health interventions considering increased genetic susceptibility to metabolic disturbances are needed to improve their health status.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Methodology for Health Visitors and Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsigmond
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kósa
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary 3 MTA-DE Public Health Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary 4 Department of Preventive Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre on Vulnerability and Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ágota
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Moravcsik-Kornyicki
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary 3 MTA-DE Public Health Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Judit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Diószegi
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Bayard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: 6 Institute of Internal Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sándor
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary 3 MTA-DE Public Health Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary 4 Department of Preventive Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre on Vulnerability and Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary adany.roza@sph.unideb.hu.
authors.forename: Róza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ádány
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D006178:Romani People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult