Korean J Intern Med.  2025 Mar;40(2):262-274. 10.3904/kjim.2024.288.

Sex-specific impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the incidence of metabolic syndrome: a comparative study of 2018–2019 and 2020–2021

• Chun KH
• Kim HJ
• Kang DR
• Kim JY
• Kim W
• Jeong YW
• Han SH
• Koh KK
• on behalf of the Taskforce Team of the Metabolic Syndrome Fact Sheet of the Korean Society of Cardiometabolic Syndrome

• KMID: 2567103
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2024.288

Abstract

Background/Aims
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted global health, exacerbated metabolic health issues, and altered lifestyle behaviors. This study examined the sex-specific impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the incidence of metabolic syndrome using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).
Methods
Data from the KNHANES VII (2018) and VIII (2019–2021), including 15,499 participants, were analyzed. The study population was stratified by sex, and further subdivisions were conducted based on the timeframe relative to the COVID-19 outbreak. Variables such as age, education level, household income, smoking status, and high-risk drinking were analyzed to assess their influence on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome.
Results
The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome significantly increased from 28.11% before the outbreak to 29.69% after the outbreak. Both males and females reported significant increases in waist circumference and fasting glucose levels. Age and education level differentially influenced the prevalence of metabolic syndrome between the sex. Smoking was significantly associated with increased prevalence in males, whereas high-risk drinking was associated with increased prevalence in males and decreased prevalence in females.
Conclusions
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the prevalence of metabolic syndrome with notable sex-specific differences. These findings highlight the need for sex-specific public health interventions to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on metabolic health.

Keyword

COVID-19; Metabolic syndrome; Sex factors; Pandemic; Risk factors