Steps/day and metabolic syndrome in African American adults: The Jackson Heart Study

- There is an inverse relationship between steps/day and MetS.
- There is an inverse relationship between steps/day and glucose levels.
- Few studies have shown these relationships in African American adults.
- The findings were shown using tertiles and previously suggested cut-points.

ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between pedometer-measured step count data and the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) in African American adults.Method379 African American adults (mean age 60.1 years; 60% female) enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study (Jackson, MS) from 2000 to 2004 provided sufficient pedometer data for inclusion in this analysis. MetS was classified according to the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention.ResultsUsing steps/day categorized as tertiles (< 3717 (referent), 3717-6238, > 6238), participants taking 3717-6238 (Odds Ratio (OR)(95% Confidence Interval (CI)) = 0.34 (0.19, 0.61)) and > 6238 steps/day (OR(95% CI) = 0.43 (0.23, 0.78)) had lower odds of having MetS compared to participants in the lowest tertile. Using previously suggested steps/day cut-points (< 2500 (referent), 2500-4999, 5000-7499, ≥ 7500), the odds of having MetS were lower for participants taking 2500-4999 (OR(95% CI) = 0.32 (0.14, 0.72)), 5000-7499 (OR(95% CI) = 0.22 (0.09, 0.53)), and > 7500 (OR(95% CI) = 0.26 (0.11, 0.65)) steps/day compared to those taking < 2500 steps/day.ConclusionCompared to lower levels, higher levels of steps/day are associated with a lower prevalence of MetS in this older African American population.