Diet quality, physical activity, and their association with metabolic syndrome in Korean adults

The aim of ths study was to investigate the combined association of overall diet quality and physical activity (PA) on the risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults.

This cross-sectional study extracted the data on 1008 adults (384 men and 624 women) 20 to 64 y of age. Dietary quality was assessed using a recommended food score (RFS) modified for a Korean diet. The total PA was summed to obtain a metabolic equivalent task score. Participants were classified according to the recommended levels of PA and RFS. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the associations of RFS and PA with the prevalence of MetS after adjustment for potential confounders.

About 21% of men and 19% of women were reported to have MetS. Nearly 5% of both sexes reached the recommended level of diet quality and PA. In men, a significantly reduced odds ratio (OR) for MetS (OR, 0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09-0.93) and hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.04-0.99) was found in those with better diet quality, within the strata of high PA. In women, compared with inactive individuals with poor diet quality, the OR for abdominal obesity in those with a better diet quality and who were active was 0.21 (95% CI, 0.05-0.86).

Both diet quality and PA are associated with a lower risk for hypertriglyceridemia in men and abdominal obesity in women. These findings suggest that a sex-specific pattern of association between MetS and lifestyle factors (diet and PA) should be considered in clinical practice.