Using noninvasive anthropometric indices to develop and validate a predictive model for metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults: a nationwide study

PURPOSE: Metabolic syndrome (Mets) is a pathological condition that includes many abnormal metabolic components and requires a simple detection method for rapid use in a large population. The aim of the study was to develop a diagnostic model for Mets in a Chinese population with noninvasive anthropometric and demographic predictors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to screen predictors. A large sample from the China National Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Survey (CNDMDS) was used to develop the model with logistic regression, and internal, internal-external and external validation were conducted to evaluate the model performance. A score calculator was developed to display the final model. RESULTS: We evaluated the discrimination and calibration of the model by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curve analysis. The area under the ROC curves (AUCs) and the Brier score of the original model were 0.88 and 0.122, respectively. The mean AUCs and the mean Brier score of 10-fold cross validation were 0.879 and 0.122, respectively. The mean AUCs and the mean Brier score of internal–external validation were 0.878 and 0.121, respectively. The AUCs and Brier score of external validation were 0.862 and 0.133, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The model developed in this study has good discrimination and calibration performance. Its stability was proved by internal validation, external validation and internal-external validation. Then, this model has been displayed by a calculator which can exhibit the specific predictive probability for easy use in Chinese population. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12902-022-00948-1.