P872 - NECK CIRCUMFERENCE AND METABOLIC SYNDROME: ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN RURAL WORKERS

P872

NECK CIRCUMFERENCE AND METABOLIC SYNDROME: ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN RURAL WORKERS

M. C. Libardi^1,*, J. R. S. Ferreira¹, O. M. D. P. A. Bezerra², E. Zandonade¹, L. B. Salaroli¹ on behalf of Research Group on Epidemiology, Health and Nutrition (GEMNUT)

¹Health Science Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, ²School of Medicine, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil

Rationale: Neck circumference (NC) is a low-cost, easily trainable anthropometric measure, offering a simple, quick, and non-invasive method. It is widely used in clinical practice, especially in Primary Health Care (PHC) settings, where access to costly methods is limited, often serving as the only entry point for rural populations. NC has been proposed as an important marker for metabolic syndrome (MS). This study assessed the prevalence of MS based on NC according to the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria and its associated factors in rural workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 789 rural workers. MS was assessed using NC with the following cut-off points: 39.550 cm for men and 34.725 cm for women. Sociodemographic (age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, marital status), occupational (weekly working hours), and behavioral factors (alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, self-rated health, healthcare utilization) were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test (χ²). Significant variables were included in a binary logistic regression model to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test assessed model fit (p > 0.05).

Results: The prevalence of MS based on NC was 28.2% in men and 43.4% in women (p < 0.001). Workers over 50 years old had a higher chance of developing MS than those under 30 (adjusted OR = 5.148, 95% CI 2.466-10.747, p < 0.001). Women had a higher chance than men (OR = 1.843, 95% CI 1.138-2.985, p = 0.013). Healthcare utilization, physical activity, socioeconomic status, and marital status showed no association (p > 0.05). Self-rated health, alcohol consumption, smoking, weekly working hours, and education were significant in bivariate analysis but lost significance in the adjusted model.

Conclusion: Age and female sex were associated with a higher chance of developing MS.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared