Oral condition and other factors associated with metabolic syndrome in adults: a hierarchical analysis

This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of metabolic syndrome and its associated factors in adults who sought medical attention at public health services in the municipality of Feira de Santana, Bahia–Brazil. This cross-sectional study involved 479 adults who were submitted to a structured questionnaire and anthropometric and oral exams. The diagnosis of syndrome was based on the criteria established by the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF criteria). Prevalence ratio (PR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated at a statistical significance level of 5%. Hierarchical multivariate analysis was performed using Poisson regression with robust variance. The prevalence of MetS ranged between 57% and 62%, depending on the diagnostic criteria used (NCEP-ATP III and IDF, respectively). Utilizing hierarchical analysis, the following associated factors remained independently associated with metabolic syndrome: number of children, irregularity in blood pressure measurements, the lack of dental visits and flossing, body mass index ≥25kg/m2 (indicating overweight or obesity) and a clinical attachment level between 3 and 4mm (suggesting moderate periodontal attachment loss). The findings of the present study affirm the existence of associations between metabolic syndrome and factors related to general and oral health condition and habits.