Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its determinants among Iranian adults: evidence of IraPEN survey on a bi-ethnic population

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a growing public health concern worldwide. It has been demonstrated that individuals with MetS are at an increased risk of cardiovascular events and diabetes. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of MetS and its components among Turkic and Kurds ethnic groups in a bi-ethnic (Turk and Kurd) population. This cross-sectional study is part of the national health transformation plan created in response to the emerging epidemic of non-communicable diseases (Iran’s Package of Essential Non-communicable Disease study), launched in 2014 in Naqadeh, Iran. In total, 3506 participants aged 30–70 years were randomly included in the study from urban and rural regions. Cardio-metabolic risk factors related to MetS diagnosis and other related sociodemographic factors were assessed for men and women in both the Turk and the Kurd population. Multivariate logistic regressions were applied to identify MetS -associated factors among both the Turk and the Kurd population. The mean (SD) age of the participants was 49.6 (12.3) years. Of the participants, 56.2% (n = 1969) were women, and 43.8% (n = 1537) were men. Three-fifths of the participants were Turk (60.3%, n = 1751). The overall prevalence of MetS was 37.05%, with a higher prevalence in women (49.8% versus 24.3% in men). The prevalence of MetS and its components among Turk people (41.6%) were significantly higher than that among Kurd people (33.9%) (p < 0.0001). In addition, the prevalence of MetS was higher among women, urban, and older people for both ethnicities. Strong associations were found between MetS prevalence and being older, being female, being overweight, being obese, having a higher waist-to-hip ratio, and having a history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the family for both Turks and Kurds. The raised waist circumference (WC) is the most prevalent MetS component for Turk men and women. Meanwhile, the most prevalent MetS component for Kurd participants is low high-density lipoprotein for women and a raised WC for men. Significant differences were found between Kurdish men and women for all components, except for a raised WC and a raised fasting blood glucose (p < 0.05). Because the Iranian population features multiple ethnicities, the recognition of the prevalence of MetS components is a major step in establishing intervention strategies for modifying cardio-metabolic risk factors based on the population ethnicities and their socio-demographic, cultural, and lifestyle factors. We recommend future studies for planning an efficient and sustainable health education and promotion program to halt MetS prevalence.