title: Recommended Levels of Physical Activity Are Associated with Reduced Risk of the Metabolic Syndrome in Mexican-Americans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the association between physical activity and the metabolic syndrome risk in Mexican-Americans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (n = 3,414), a randomly selected Mexican-American cohort in Texas on the US-Mexico border. Moderate and vigorous physical activity was assessed using reliable and validated instruments. The metabolic syndrome was defined as having 3 or more metabolic abnormalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand five hundred and twenty-four participants of the cohort (45.02%) were found to have the metabolic syndrome. Compared to participants who did not meet US physical activity guidelines, participants who met physical activity guidelines of 150 moderate and vigorous minutes per week (≥ 600 MET adjusted minutes) had 36% lower risk for the metabolic syndrome (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.42-0.98), and participants with total minutes per week of moderate and vigorous/strenuous activity greater than 743 MET adjusted minutes had 37% lower risk for the metabolic syndrome (OR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.42-0.94) compared with their counterparts, after adjusting for age, gender, annual household income, body mass index, smoking and alcohol drinking status, total portions of fruit and vegetable intake, census tracts and blocks, and survey version for physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Meeting or exceeding physical activity guidelines significantly was inversely associated with the risk for the metabolic syndrome in Mexican-Americans. Improving levels of physical activity appears to be an effective target for the metabolic syndrome prevention and control among Mexican-Americans independent of other factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio-Laredo Campus, Laredo, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shenghui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, School of Public Health, Brownsville Campus, Brownsville, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Susan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Fisher-Hoch
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Promotion and Health Behavior University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, School of Public Health, Brownsville Campus, Brownsville, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reininger
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, School of Public Health, Brownsville Campus, Brownsville, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: McCormick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology