Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is known to affect cardio-metabolic disease risk. However, the relationship between childhood SES and metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains uncertain. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between childhood SES, as measured by maternal education and occupational status and adult-onset MetS in the Korean population.
We examined the association between childhood SES, as measured by maternal education level and occupational status during an individual's childhood, and MetS in Korean adults aged 20 to 79 years who participated in the 2007-2009 Korean National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey. The components of MetS, including waist circumference, fasting glucose, lipid profiles, and blood pressure, were measured. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for MetS were calculated using multiple logistic regression models.
Significant differences in the association between maternal education level, occupational status, and MetS were found between males and females. In females, the adjusted MetS OR for the highest maternal education quartile relative to the lowest quartile was 0.46 (0.21-0.99). Similarly, in females, the adjusted OR for individuals whose mothers worked when they were children relative to those whose mothers did not work was 1.23 (1.04-1.44). In males, no significant associations between maternal education, maternal occupational status, and MetS were found.
We found independent, positive associations between maternal education and occupational status and MetS in Korean females. These findings suggest that public health education targeting MetS prevention should be considered, especially among children with less opportunity for maternal support.
Citations
Insulin resistance, decreased response of peripheral tissue to normal insulin levels, is known to be related to cardiometabolic diseases. Cardiopulmonary fitness is also considered to be related to these comorbidities. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between insulin resistance and cardiopulmonary fitness by performing a 3-minute step test in a Korean non-diabetes mellitus (DM) population.
A total of 118 non-DM subjects were enrolled during their routine health check-up. Insulin resistance was measured by calculating homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and a 3-minute step test was performed to measure cardiopulmonary fitness.
Post-60 seconds exercise heart rate after 3-minute test (R60 heart rate) was correlated with age (r = -0.21, P = 0.02), education (r = 0.17, P = 0.04), body mass index (r = 0.23, P = 0.01), waist circumference (r = 0.28, P < 0.01), fasting insulin (r = 0.28, P < 0.01), HOMA-IR (r = 0.25, P < 0.01), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (r = 0.28, P < 0.01), high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (r = 0.22, P = 0.02), and baseline heart rate (r = 0.56, P < 0.01). In a step-wise multiple regression analysis, baseline heart rate (β = 0.79, P < 0.001), HOMA-IR (β = 0.65, P = 0.02), and systolic blood pressure (β = 0.15, P = 0.03) were identified as explanatory variables for R60 heart rates.
Our results suggested that cardiopulmonary fitness was associated with insulin resistance in non-DM patients of a university hospital in Korea. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Citations
First
Prev
