Internationale Zeitschrift für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung

A Cross Sectional Study of the Role of Family Biosocial Variables in Metabolic Syndrome among Adult Nigerians at a Primary Care Clinic in Eastern Nigeria

Gabriel Uche Pascal Iloh and Agwu Nkwa Amadi

 A Cross Sectional Study of the Role of Family Biosocial Variables in Metabolic Syndrome among Adult Nigerians at a Primary Care Clinic in Eastern Nigeria

Background: Metabolic syndrome (Met-S) is a family health problem. In Nigeria, family lifestyles are changing rapidly, an alteration that is favourable to the early emergence of Met-S. It is vital that family centred interventions be proactively done before the clustering of Met-S in the family. .Aim: This study was aimed at determining the role of family biosocial variables in metabolic syndrome among adult Nigerians at a primary care clinic in Eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross sectional study carried out between February 2012 and May 2012 on 210 adult National Health Insurance Scheme primary care clinic patients using International Diabetes Federation(IDF) criteria: An Individual was considered to have Met-S in the presence of waist circumference(WC) ≥94 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women plus any two or more of the following: fasting blood glucose ≥ 100mg/dL and/or diabetes mellitus on treatment; systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg and/or hypertension on treatment; triglyceride level ≥150 mg/dL and/or hypertriglyceridaemia on treatment and high density lipoprotein(HDL-C) cholesterol <40mg/dL for men or <50 mg/dL for women on treatment. Collection of data was done using pretested, structured and researcher administered questionnaire. Results: Met-S was significantly associated with family history of essential hypertension (p=.036) and family history of generalized obesity (p=.029). The most significant predictor of Met-S was family history of generalized obesity (OR=2.02, p=.011). The patient with family history of generalized obesity was one and half times more likely to have Met-S compared to those without family history of generalized obesity. Conclusion: This study has shown that Met-S was significantly associated with family history of hypertension and generalized obesity. The most significant predictor variable was family history of generalized obesity. Adult Nigerians with family history of hypertension and generalized obesity should be the focus of family oriented primary prevention interventions for Met-S in the study area.