Profile and predictors of metabolic syndrome among young adults attending a Medical College in Quetta City, Pakistan

Background Anthropometry and biochemical parameters as diagnostic measures of metabolic syndrome (MetS) are of high repute in clinical settings. However, statistics capable of predicting MetS explicitly in young adults are the least discussed in the literature. We, therefore, aimed to establish the profile and identify the associated predictors of MetS among young adults enrolled in a public medical institute in Quetta city, Pakistan.Methods This was a cross-sectional study. Along with the demographics, anthropometric measures were examined as per World Health Organization' criteria. Biochemical measures were assessed using standardized protocols. In addition to the non-parametric tests, the binary logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of MetS. For all analyses, p < 0.05 was taken significantly.Results Three hundred and fifty-one young adults responded to the study with a response rate of 77.1%. Majority of the respondents were females (55%) with 19 years age (82.1%) dominating the cohort. Almost 50% of the respondents had higher triglyceride levels and high-density lipoproteins were below normal in 42.7%. Nearly 31% were obese and 25% had higher HbA1c. Logistic regression analysis revealed fourteen independent variables that accounted for 75.2% of the model explanation. Glycated haemoglobin and body mass index were identified as significant predictors of MetS (adjusted OR = 5.014, p < 0.001 and adjusted OR = 3.323, p < 0.042, respectively). An increase in HbA1c level and body mass index of one point was associated with the development of MetS by a factor of 5.014 and 3.323 respectively.Conclusion The prevalence of MetS was high, whereas HbA1c and BMI were shaped as predicting factors of MetS. Therefore, while addressing MetS-related issues among young adults, healthcare and preventive professionals, and policymakers should consider the identified factors while designing individualized or targeted interventions.