Prevalence and Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome among the Homeless in Taipei City: A Cross-Sectional Study

Ming Gu, Chi-Jie Lu, Tian-Shyug Lee, Mingchih Chen, Chih-Kuang Liu and Ching-Lin Chen
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Ming Gu: Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242304, Taiwan
Chi-Jie Lu: Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242304, Taiwan
Tian-Shyug Lee: Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242304, Taiwan
Mingchih Chen: Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242304, Taiwan
Chih-Kuang Liu: Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242304, Taiwan
Ching-Lin Chen: Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242304, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: The safety and health of homeless people are important social issues. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a sub-health-risk phenomenon that has been severely aggravated worldwide in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of MetS among the homeless in Taipei City, Taiwan. In this study, a convenience sampling was conducted at homeless counseling agencies in Taipei City from April 2018 to September 2018. A total of 297 homeless participants were recruited, from whom clinical indicators and questionnaire information were collected. Through statistical verification, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression, we found the following main conclusions for homeless adults in Taipei: (1) The prevalence of MetS was estimated to be 53%, with 50% meeting four or more diagnostic conditions. (2) Dyslipidemia (high-density lipoprotein (HDL) deficiency and elevated triglyceride (TG)) showed the strongest association with the prevalence of MetS; more than 83% of people with HDL deficiency or hypertriglyceridemia had MetS. For the patient groups meeting more MetS diagnostic conditions, the values of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), TG, and total cholesterol (TC) increased significantly. (3) The deterioration of MetS was significantly related to the high prevalence of hyperlipidemia (HL). (4) The homeless who were divorced, separated or widowed were more likely to suffer from MetS.

Keywords: homeless; metabolic syndrome; dyslipidemia; Taipei; Taiwan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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