Diets high in vegetables, fruits, cereals, and tubers as a protective factor for metabolic syndrome in bank employees

Abstract

Background

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing, and its development may be related to westernized diets and working conditions.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of dietary patterns in bank employees with the presence of MetS, considering sociodemographic and behavioral factors as well as laboratory tests.

Subjects and methods

This was a cross-sectional study of 515 bankers. Sociodemographic, occupational, behavioral, and food consumption data were collected. Dietary patterns were determined by principal component analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation.

Results

The dietary pattern of vegetables, fruits, cereals, and tubers was correlated with the presence of MetS and with waist circumference measurements and triglyceride levels. Individuals in the third and fifth quintiles of the pattern “vegetables, fruits, cereals, and tubers” presented with 3.28 and 2.24 times less chances of MetS when compared to individuals in the first quintile of this dietary pattern (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.13–0.67, and OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.21–0.92, respectively). Subjects over 45 years of age were almost twice as likely to develop MetS (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.01–3.77).

Conclusion

Healthy eating represented by the dietary pattern “vegetables, fruits, cereals, and tubers” was associated with better health among bank employees, especially when evaluating competing metabolic complications such as MetS.

Keywords:

• metabolic syndrome
• dietary patterns
• food consumption
• workers
• bank employees

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the bank for their support in all stages of this study and the Foundation for Support to Research and Innovation of Espírito Santo for their granted scholarship.

Author contributions

All authors contributed to data analysis, drafting or revising the article, gave final approval of the versiion to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.