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Rosemarie G. Ramos, PhD, MPH and Kenneth Olden, PhD, ScD

At the time of the study, the authors were with the Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Rosemarie G. Ramos, PhD, NIH/NIEHS Health Disparities Fellow, MD-NH-04, NH 278, PO Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (e-mail: ramosr{at}niehs.nih.gov).

Objectives. We sought to determine whether the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among US women of childbearing age (18–44 years) has increased since 1988 and to estimate its current prevalence by race/ethnicity and risk that a maternal history of select metabolic syndrome characteristics imposes on offspring.

Methods. We used survey-specific data analysis methods to examine data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted from 1988 to 2004.

Results. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome phenotype and 2 of its clinical correlates significantly increased between 1988 and 2004 (increase for metabolic syndrome phenotype=7.6%, for obesity=13.3%, and for elevated C-reactive protein=10.6%; P<.001 for all 3). Hispanic women were more likely than were White women to possess the phenotype (P= .004). Women who reported that their mothers had been diagnosed with diabetes were more likely to possess the phenotype than those whose mothers had not been so diagnosed (odds ratio=1.9; 95% confidence interval=1.3, 2.8).

Conclusions. The current trends of metabolic syndrome among women of childbearing age demonstrate the need for additional rigorous investigations regarding its long-term effects in these women and their offspring.

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