Gender Differences in the Effects of the Frequency of Physical Activity on the Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome: Results from a Middle-Aged Community Cohort in Taiwan.

Background: Little is known about how the frequency of physical activity in adults influences the occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), and whether there are gender differences within these effects. Methods: In this study, 3368 residents from the established Landseed Cohort underwent three waves of health examinations, and those who did not have MetS at baseline were selected and analyzed using a multiple Poisson regression model. By calculating the adjusted relative risk (ARR), the linear and nonlinear relationships between the frequency of physical activity and risk of developing MetS were examined for male and female participants. Results: The prevalence of MetS was fairly stable across the three waves (ranging from 16.24% to 16.82%), but the incidence dropped from 7.11% to 4.52%. The risk of MetS in women was 10 times higher than that in men (ARR=10.06; 95% CI=6.60-15.33), and frequent exercise was shown to help prevent it. The frequency of exercise had a linear dose-response effect in females and an exponential protective effect in males on the occurrence of MetS. Exercising more than four times a week for females and twice or more a week for males effectively reduced the risk of developing MetS. Conclusions: The frequency of physical activity in adults was negatively related to the risk of developing MetS, and this relationship differed based on gender. The protective effect of physical activity on MetS was linear in females and exponential in males.