Snacking between main meals is associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome in a Mediterranean cohort

The SUN Project (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra)

Bibliographic Data

ID15095613
AuthorsAdriano Marçal Pimenta (0000-0001-7049-7575, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, corresponding author), Maira Bes-Rastrollo (0000-0002-9139-4206, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red), Alfredo Gea (0000-0002-2229-4690, Universidad de Navarra), Carmen Sayón-Orea (0000-0002-4137-3263, Universidad de Navarra), Itziar Zazpe (0000-0002-8787-2981, Universidad de Navarra), Roberto Lopez-Iracheta (Universidad de Navarra), Miguel Angel Martínez-González (0000-0002-3917-9808, Instituto de Salud Carlos III)
Year2016
Volume19
Issue4
Pages658-666
Publication date2016-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980015001342
PMID25958949
OpenAlexW2255639336
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited31

Objective To evaluate the association of snacking between main meals with the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Design A dynamic prospective cohort study (the SUN Project; Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra). Snack consumption was evaluated using the question: ‘Do you have the habit of snacking between main meals?’ Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the updated harmonizing criteria. We estimated multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RR) of metabolic syndrome and their 95 % confidence intervals using Poisson regression models. An exploratory factor analysis was also used to identify patterns of snacking. Setting University of Navarra, Spain. Subjects The study included 6851 university graduates, initially free of metabolic syndrome, and followed-up them for a median of 8·3 years. Results Among our participants, 34·6 % reported usual snacking between main meals. The cumulative incidence of metabolic syndrome was 5·1 % (9·5 % among men and 2·8 % among women). Snacking between main meals was significantly associated with higher risk for developing metabolic syndrome after multivariable adjustment (RR=1·44; 95 %CI 1·18, 1·77). Higher adherence to an ‘unhealthy snacking pattern’ was also independently associated with increased incidence of metabolic syndrome (fourth quartile of adherence compared with non-snacking: RR=1·68; 95 % CI 1·23, 2·29; P for trend Conclusions Our findings suggest that avoidance of snacking between main meals can be included among the preventive approaches to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome development, especially when snacks contain foods of poor nutritional quality

Cohort · Cohort study · Confidence interval · Environmental health · Incidence (geometry · Metabolic syndrome · Obesity · Poisson regression · Population · Quartile · Relative risk · Snacking · Demography · Diet and metabolism studies · Mathematics · Medicine · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Internal Medicine

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