Study of association between healthy eating index and components ofmetabolic syndrome in the women teachers of Qom

Abstract

Background and purpose: Metabolic syndrome is defined as abdominal obesity, hypertension, lipid disorders, and impaired glucose homeostasis. Lifestyle, especially diet, physical activity and overweight are all factors that lead to metabolic syndrome. Considring the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in women and the role of teachers in raising the next generation in the country, this study was conducted to determine the association between healthy eating index (HEI) and components of metabolic syndrome in women teachers in Qom. Materials and Methods: This Cross - sectional study was performed on 97 women teachers aged 30 to 55 years in Qom. Sampling was performed as a multi-stage cluster. After a complete explanation of the study, fulfillment of the conditions and criteria for inclusion in the study, a written informed consent form was obtained from the individuals. General information was collected using a demographic questionnaire and food intake was collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Data on anthropometric indices and blood pressure were collected for all subjects. Fasting blood samples were taken from all subjects and biochemical parameters (fasting blood sugar, triglyceride and high density lipoprotein (HDL-C)) were measured and physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The HEI score and each of its components were then calculated. Statistical analysis of data was performed with SPSS software version 18. The normality of the data was checked by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Logistics regression was used to relate the dependent and independent variables. mean and standard deviation was calculated for normal variable median and frequency and percentage were reported for non- noramal and qualified variable respectively Results: The mean HEI score of participants was 62.40 ± 9.05. The participants were classified into 3 groups of “poor,” “needs improvement,” and “good” based on their diet quality. The frequencies of each group were (9.3%), (90.76%), and (0%), respectively.Data on the components of metabolic syndrome showed that low blood HDL-C (81.4%), high Waist circumference (42.3%) and high serum triglycerides (34%) had the highest prevalence in women teachers in Qom. Examination of the association between metabolic syndrome components and HEI index showed that after adjusting for confounders variables, waist circumference (P = 0.037), systolic blood pressure (P = 0.01), diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.000) P) decreased with increasing HEI index, while HDL-C showed an increase with increasing HEI (P = 0.01). This association remained after adjusting for confounding variables (age, sex, and physical activity). Conclusion: Considering the significant association of some components of metabolic syndrome including Waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and serum HDL-C with total HEI index and some of its components, reducing the consumption of unhealthy fats, increasing the consumption of unsaturated fatty acids, increasing the consumption of whole grains, eating fruits and vegetables, consuming more plant proteins and eating fish and legumes may be a preventative measure Useful against metabolic disorders. Keywords: Metabolic syndrome, Healthy Eating Index, Women, Teachers, Qom city