HEALTH MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND THE PREVALENCE OF METABOLIC SYNDROME

Background and Objective

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) can be effectively prevented and treated by following healthy lifestyle practices. Healthy lifestyle management not only includes regulation of drinking and smoking, and regular physical activity but also health medical examinations. However, health medical examinations at private medical facilities involve high cost, limiting continuous and regular examination. The aim of this study is to ana-lyze the prevalence of MetS and health management behavior according to the number of health medical examinations conducted in 14 years.

Material and Methods

According to the number of health medical examinations undertaken each year from 1999 to 2012, in 2012, 21,803 visitors (14,511 men and 7,292 women) from a health medical examination center at a private medical facility were assigned to low- (3–5 health examinations in 14 years), middle- (6–10 health examinations in 14 years), and high-frequency groups (11–14 health examinations for 14 years) and were classified by sex. Namely, they were divided into three groups: those who underwent 3–5 examinations, as low-frequency group, 6–10 examinations, as middle-frequency group, and 11-14 examinations, as high-frequency group. MetS was evaluated according to the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program and Adult Treatment Panel III and waist circumference was measured according to the standard for Asians by the World Health Organization. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated by logistic regression analysis.

Results

Systolic blood pressure tended to decrease to 124.5 versus 123.9 versus 123.5 mmHg in the low-, middle-, and high-frequency groups in men, respectively. In addition, the middle- and high-frequency groups demonstrated better total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and systolic blood pressure compared with the low-frequency group. The prevalence of MetS demonstrated no significance before adjusting for variables in men, and high-frequency examinees demonstrated 18% low OR values (0.823, p < 0.001) after adjusting for age. OR was 0.868 (p = 0.015) when adjusted for age, other socio-economic factors, and health behavior. In women, the prevalence of MetS demonstrated significantly high OR of 1.205 (p = 0.007) and 1.300 (p = 0.008) in the middle- and high-frequency groups, respectively, but OR value decreased by 21% (0.791, p = 0.026) after adjusting for age. However, OR remained significant when adjusting for socioeconomic variables, physical activity, drinking, and smoking. For income and education, high-frequency examinees belonged to the high socioeconomic status group among men and women, but there were significant differences in walking among men with regard to physical activity (p < 0.001). Smoking was well-managed in the high-frequency group among men and women, and drinking showed a significant difference only in women (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The high frequency of health medical examinations demonstrated low prevalence of MetS in men and women, and high socioeconomic status was associated with healthy behavior.

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