Association of education and marital status with normal weight metabolic obesity in men residing in Minoodar district, Qazvin

Individuals with metabolic obesity but normal weight (MONW) are frequently undetected because of their normal body mass index (BMI). Therefore، it is important to identify factors associated with MONW. The aim of this study was to determine the association of education and marital status with normal weight metabolic obesity in men. This cross sectional study was conducted in 232 men with a BMI less than 25 kg/m2 in Qazvin، Iran from September 2010 to April 2011. MONW was defined as insulin resistance (IR) in subjects with BMI less than 25 kg/m2. IR was determined using the 80th percentile of the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) in normal subjects. Education was classified into four categories (1: elementary school or illiterate، 2: secondary or high school، 3: diploma and associate degree، and 4: Bachelor of Science and higher). Data were analyzed using T-test، Mann Whitney U test، logistic regression analysis and analysis of covariance. Of 232، 78 subjects (32. 6%) had MONW. The second to fourth categories of education were associated with 6. 2، 8. 3، and 6. 7-fold increased risk of MONW compared to the first category. Marriage frequency was 97. 5%، 68. 6%، and 41% in the first، third and fourth category، respectively. After adding marital status as covariate، there were no significant differences between the categories in mean HOMA-IR. With regards to the results، MONW was more probable in men with higher level of education and unmarried men.