ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1648414
Associations between lifestyle habits and family members' health literacy in middleaged adults with metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study in Japan Author List and Affiliations
Provisionally accepted
- 1The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
- 2Tokyo Daigaku Igakubu Fuzoku Byoin, Bunkyo, Japan
- 3Tokyo Daigaku, Bunkyo, Japan
- 4Teikyo Daigaku, Itabashi, Japan
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Background: Health literacy has gained importance as a factor related to health behaviors and the risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). Although the health literacy of family members may affect lifestyle habits among individuals with MetS, few studies have examined these relationships. We examined the associations between lifestyle habits (dietary habits, exercise, drinking, and smoking) among individuals with MetS and their family members' health literacy. Methods: We conducted a crosssectional observational study at a Japanese machine manufacturing company using a selfadministered questionnaire. Participants were recruited by the health insurance society based on the criterion of specific health guidance; and participants' family members were also included in this study. Participants' lifestyle habits were assessed on the basis of specific health checkup questionnaires. Health literacy was assessed using the Communicative and Critical Health Literacy scale. We used two binary logistic regression models to examine the associations of participants' lifestyle habits with the health literacy of participants and their family members. Results: We analyzed data for 125 participants with MetS and 125 family members. After adjusting for variables related to sociodemographic factors and occupation and workplace factors, participants' exercise habits (moderate exercise, walking/equivalent physical activity) were significantly associated with participants' health literacy (OR=4.654, p<0.001 and OR=2.689, p=0.001, respectively). After adjusting for variables related to sociodemographic factors, occupation and workplace factors, and participants' health literacy, participants' dietary habits (time dinner is eaten) and exercise habits (moderate exercise) were independently associated with family members ' health literacy (OR=2.485, p=0.006 and OR=2.819, p=0.034, respectively). Conclusions: The findings suggested that health education for individuals with MetS as well as for their family members may be effective in improving dietary and exercise habits among individuals with MetS themselves. Additional intervention studies are needed to examine which educational model focusing on family is most effective in improving lifestyle habits among individuals with MetS.
Keywords: metabolic syndrome, lifestyle factors, Family, Health Literacy, Family health education
Received: 17 Jun 2025; Accepted: 06 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Goto, Okada and Ishikawa. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Eiko Goto, gotoue-tky@umin.ac.jp
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