Screening tools for metabolic syndrome based on anthropometric cut-off values among Thai working adults: a community-based study

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a universal disease of increasing prevalence, but the prevalence varies depending on ethnicity. There is a crucial need to assess the validity of anthropometric indicators and determine appropriate cut-off values for MetS screening. OBJECTIVE: Determine cut-off anthropometric indicators values for screening of MetS. DESIGN: Cross-sectional SETTING: Rural and urban areas of provinces with a high prevalence of MetS in the central region of Thailand. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects were recruited based on the International Diabetes Federation definition of MetS, which includes four anthropometric indicators. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity for different cut-off values of all novel indicators. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The cut-off values for screening of MetS, which included neck circumference (NC), body roundness index (BRI), conicity index (C-index), and body shape index (BSI). SAMPLE SIZE: 2520 participants RESULTS: The BRI and NC were the indices with higher areas under the curve, followed by the C-index and BSI. The optimal cut-off values for BRI and NC were 4.1 and 36.5 cm for males and 4.0 and 34.5 cm for females. CONCLUSIONS: This study defined the specific cut-off values for Thai working adults. LIMITATIONS: The participants might not be representative of all Thai adults and we may have overestimated MetS for Thai working adults because our research focus was on the highest prevalence of MetS in the central region of Thailand.