The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of stress on metabolic syndrome (MS) among Korean adults (age≥20).

The total subject 6,458 (weighted subjects=41,717,139) were recruited from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VII-2, 2017). Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, χ² and logistic regression considering strata, cluster and weight using SAS V9.3 program.

The prevalence of MS and stress (≥high) was 31.9% and 27.5%. The very low stress group had significant higher prevalence of MS and MS score (number of clinical MS Component) then others (p=.002, p<.001). The odds ratio (OR) of MS with stress were 0.67∼0.77 (p<.01, p=.15) in unadjusted model. After all covariates (age, sex, body mass index (BMI), education, marriage, income, occupation, smoking, alcohol, exercise) adjusted, finally ORs weren’t significant (0.99≤OR≤-1.22, 0.12≤p≤.96). However, HDL cholesterol, HBP (high blood pressure), and FBS (fasting blood sugar) had significant relation with stress, respectively (1.14≤OR≤1.18, 1.66≤OR≤2.01, 1.33≤OR≤1.47, all p<.001).

This study indicates that stress was not independently associated with metabolic syndrome prevalence risk. However, HDL cholesterol, HBP, and FBS were significantly increased in low and high stress group then very low group.