The Metabolic Syndrome
- Describe the cohort: how was the group recruited, how long were they followed, how many participants were lost to follow up?
The cohort-based in The Northern parts of Sweden was assessed at the age of 16 years through self-administered questionnaires. They were followed for a period of 27 years until the age of 43. A total of 195 equivalents to 18 % were lost in the findings to follow up.
2. How and when were information on the exposure (focus on TV viewing) and outcome (metabolic syndrome) ascertained?
At 43 years, it was ascertained. The process was done through using International Diabetes Federation Criterion of CIs and ORs, calculated through logistic regression
- from Table 1, do daily smokers (at age 16) on the average watch more or less TV than non-smokers?
From the figures in table one, the daily smokers on average watch less TV when a comparison is made to their non-smokers’ counterparts (Wennberg et al., 2092)
4. How does Table 2 suggest a dose-response association between TV viewing and metabolic syndrome?
Big TV viewing time and low physical activity in the stage of adolescence, was associated with raised levels of triglycerides and central obesity. The table thus suggests that the behavior of physical inactivity herein associated with the high amount of TV viewing can precede over-weight and cardiometabolic risk to the individuals.
5. How do the investigators attempt to deal with the inherent difficulty of cohort studies to determine causal relationships? Are you convinced?
The investigation team presents forward data collected over a long period with the findings targeting various aspects of their lives, therefore, being in the position of the difficulties that cohort studies present. There is a convincing power that the set of findings put in any reader.
6. Do the authors address the limitations and generalizability of their sample to other populations? How generalizable do you think these results are?
The Wennberg and associates do not adequately address the limitations. In generalizing the sample, they introduce other global findings on the matter, and therefore putting the sample results into a generalizability state. The way they approach cardiometabolic health issues thus allows the generalization.
- How would you design an RCT to address the same research question as this paper?
The use of RCT would introduce much across the divide. The design would be in such ways that the participants are randomly chosen rather than relying on one are like North Sweden. The randomly chosen people will then be allocated concealment as the outcome is ascertained over the set period of time.
Work Cited
Wennberg, Patrik, et al. “Television viewing and low leisure-time physical activity in adolescence independently predict the metabolic syndrome in mid-adulthood.” Diabetes care 36.7 (2013): 2090-2097.