Household Food Insecurity and Metabolic Syndrome in Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Household food insecurity (HFI) refers to the lack of access to safe and nutritious food, and this condition may be associated with the occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Thus, this study aimed to conduct a quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) to summarize the evidence from epidemiological studies on the association between HFI and MetS. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Information Center databases to retrieve epidemiological studies published until October 2023. The entire process of selection, data extraction, and assessment of article quality was independently performed by two reviewers. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the criteria proposed by the National Institutes of Health instrument. The random-effects model was used to report the quantitative synthesis of combined data. The Q-test and I² index were used to assess heterogeneity. Egger's and Begg's tests were employed to evaluate publication bias. Results: A total of 10 articles meeting the eligibility criteria were selected and included in this meta-analysis. High heterogeneity was observed among the studies (I² > 70), along with a low risk of publication bias. Considering all ten included studies, no statistically significant association was found between HFI and MetS (odds ratio = 1.17; 95% confidence interval: 0.89-1.55; I² = 79.9%). Conclusions: The findings of this meta-analysis did not reveal a statistically significant association between HFI and MetS, indicating the need for further studies aimed at exploring and expanding the scientific evidence on this relationship.