(P02-029-23) Inverse Association Between Yogurt Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence in United States Adult Males: NHANES 2017-2018

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a disease that affects about a third of United States (US) adults and is associated with many other chronic diseases and added economic burden. Yogurt consumption, which has increased over time in the US, is associated with various health outcomes but its connection with MetS remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of yogurt consumption and MetS diagnosis in the US and to determine the relationship between yogurt consumption and MetS prevalence.

Methods: The 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data and the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies were used to estimate yogurt consumption and MetS status in the US adult population with complete information on relevant nutrient, demographic, anthropometric and biomarker variables (n=1,428). Sample weights were accounted for using the IBM SPSS Complex Samples software for all analyses. Demographic characteristics, nutrient intakes, and MetS-related biomarkers were compared between yogurt consumers and non-consumers using Wald F or Chi square analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between yogurt consumption and MetS accounting for confounding variables.

Results: Approximately 20.0% of the population consumed yogurt (mean intake of 31.2 g) and 33.3% had MetS. Yogurt consumers were older (51.2 vs 46.9 yrs; p=0.006), more likely to be females (67 vs 47%; p< 0.001), more educated (42 vs 27% 4-year college; p< 0.001), smoked less (7.8 vs 17.9%; p< 0.001) and had lower diastolic blood pressure (70.7 vs 72.7 mmHg; p=0.032) and male high-density lipoprotein (53.5 vs 47.8 mg/dL; p=0.019) than yogurt non-consumers. Finally, there was an inverse association in males between yogurt intake status and MetS (OR:0.450; 95% CI:0.230-0.880), but not for females or the total population.

Conclusions: Males who consumed yogurt have less odds of MetS than males who did not, which suggests yogurt consumption may be beneficial for male adults. The study’s observations highlight a need for more research on MetS based on sex differences and yogurt intake in the US. In this way, targeted interventions can be developed to reduce the chronic disease and economic burden related to MetS.

Funding Sources: None