The Effect of a Dietary Companion on Metabolic Syndrome in Adult Women

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study aimed to compare the differences in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome between menopausal women and women of childbearing age and to determine the risk of metabolic syndrome among women in each group depending on whether they eat alone. @*Methods@#Data of 1,813 women from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016) were used. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0, and complex sample frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, complex sample cross analysis, complex sample general linear regression, and complex sample logistic regression analysis were performed. @*Results@#According to the results of the study, there was no difference in the prevalence and risk of metabolic syndrome according to the presence of companions during meals between women of childbearing age and post-menopausal women, but there was a difference in health behavior. In other words, women of childbearing age who ate alone had a lot of experience of drinking, and menopausal women who ate alone did not tend to make any efforts to control their weight and did not perform aerobic exercise. In particular, the negative health behavior of menopausal women who ate alone increased the risk of prevalence of metabolic syndrome. @*Conclusion@#The findings indicate that, for women who eat alone, interventions to prevent metabolic syndrome should be differentiated before and after menopause. Therefore, it is suggested to offer an educational program to prevent metabolic syndrome in women of childbearing age as well as provide regular assessments to diagnose metabolic syndrome and health behavior improvement programs for menopausal women.