Background: The Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is a combination of risk factors related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Psychosocial factors and stress have been suggested to be important determinants.
Aim: To analyse how psychosocial factors, perceived stress and health related quality of life are related to MS, and assess if observed associations are dependent of life-style.
Methods: A cross-sectional study of a random sample of 502 men and 505 women aged 45-69, from southeast Sweden, including fasting blood samples, blood pressure, anthropometrics, self-reported data of life-style, psychosocial status and health related quality of life (SF-36). Linear regression models were adjusted for age and, in a second step, also for life-style.
Results: Men and women with MS reported lower levels of physical activity, lower scores on physical and social dimensions of SF-36, and women with MS reported stronger effect of social change compared to those without MS (p<0.05), but we found no differences for mental health or perceived stress. The major part of observed associations was lost after adjustment for effects of life-style.
Conclusion: Our data speak against a direct effect of social stress on MS via psychological strain but suggest an indirect pathway via a sedentary life-style.