title: Neck circumference as a potential marker of metabolic syndrome among college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to relate neck circumference with metabolic syndrome and its criteria among college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  cross-sectional study conducted with 702 college students in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil from September 2010 to June 2011. Socio-demographic data, waist circumference and neck circumference were collected together with blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride levels, and HDL-C.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1.7% of the studied sample presented metabolic syndrome. Of these, 58.3% presented altered neck circumference (p<0.006). As neck circumference decreases, pressure levels improve (p<0.001). Additionally, college students with high fasting blood sugar (p=0.003) and high triglyceride levels (p<0.001) presented higher values of neck circumference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  neck circumference is a potential predictive marker in the detection of metabolic syndrome and its components among college students.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Juazeiro do Norte, Juazeiro do Norte, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dayse Christina Rodrigues
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro Brasileira, Redenção, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Márcio Flávio Moura
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Floriano, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto Wagner Júnior Freire
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla Regina de Souza
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Lúcia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Farmácia Odontologia e Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marta Maria Coelho
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Damasceno
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009929:Organ Size; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult