Age, Gender, and Socioeconomic Gradients in Metabolic Syndrome: Biomarker Evidence from a Large Sample in Taiwan, 2005-2013

Purpose: To examine the age and gender heterogeneities in the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with biomarker data from Taiwan.

Methods: Subjects included 102,201 men and 112,015 women aged 25 and above, from the 2005-2013 MJ Health Survey in Taiwan. SES was measured by education and family income. MetS was defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asian population. Logistic regression analyses were performed by age and gender groups.

Results: (1) Higher education level was associated with significantly lower risk of MetS. (2) Higher income was associated with lower MetS risk among women aged under 65, but no association among men of all ages. (3) SES gradients were generally much stronger among women than among men of the same age group. (4) SES gradients reduced over the life course with the exception that income gradient remains flat among men of all ages.

Conclusions: Among Chinese in Taiwan, the gender and age heterogeneities in the SES gradients in MetS are similar to those reported for Western societies. This cross-cultural convergence is broadly consistent with the general hypothesis that social conditions are fundamental causes of diseases and health disparities.