Comparison of the Association and Predictive Ability of Anthropometric Indexes for Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Adults

This research aimed to investigate the association between various anthropometric indexes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and evaluate their predictive effectiveness for MetS. Data from the China National Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Survey (CNDMDS) were analyzed, including 44,557 adults aged 20 years and above. Eleven anthropometric indexes were assessed for their association with the prevalence of MetS. MetS diagnosis was based on the Joint Interim Statement (JIS) criteria, and the discriminatory ability of each index was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Among Chinese adults, the crude prevalence of MetS was 29.92%. All anthropometric indexes included in the analysis were significantly and positively associated with the prevalence of MetS (all p-trend < 0.0001). ROC curve analysis indicated that, among males, WC and AVI were the most effective indexes for discriminating MetS, while in females, WC and AVI also demonstrated the highest discriminative power. In the entire population, WHtR and BRI showed higher maximal Youden index values, with AUC values both at 0.83. WHtR and BRI exhibit comparable diagnostic value in predicting MetS in the general population. Considering the simplicity of calculation and measurement, WHtR is recommended as the primary screening index for MetS.