Table 2.
Subgroup analysis for the association between SF and MetS.
| Subgroup | Number of studies | Odds ratio (95% CI) | I 2 | p | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | |||||
| East-Asian | 12 | 1.71 (1.43, 2.04) | 76.50% | <0.05 | |
| Non East-Asian | 3 | 1.84 (1.54, 2.20) | 30.70% | 0.194 | 0.631 |
| Sample size ≥ 3, 000 | |||||
| Yes | 10 | 1.77 (1.46, 2.14) | 78.60% | <0.05 | |
| No | 5 | 1.71 (1.48, 1.98) | 18.70% | 0.277 | 0.469 |
| Ferritin assay | |||||
| RIA | 5 | 2.06 (1.52, 2.79) | 86.00% | <0.05 | |
| TIA | 3 | 1.55 (1.25, 1.93) | 29.80% | 0.223 | |
| CLIA | 6 | 1.65 (1.46, 1.86) | 10.30% | 0.344 | |
| EIA | 1 | / | / | / | <0.001 |
| Adjusted for BMI | |||||
| Yes | 10 | 1.60 (1.41, 1.81) | 31.40% | 0.100 | |
| No | 5 | 1.93 (1.50, 2.48) | 82.50% | <0.05 | <0.001 |
| Adjusted for CRP | |||||
| Yes | 5 | 1.90 (1.41, 2.56) | 82.40% | <0.05 | |
| No | 10 | 1.63 (1.47, 1.81) | 24.80% | 0.168 | <0.001 |
| Adjusted for HOMA-IR | |||||
| Yes | 3 | 1.45 (1.21, 1.73) | 0.00% | 0.405 | |
| No | 12 | 1.80 (1.54, 2.10) | 72.60% | <0.05 | 0.011 |
| Adjusted for ALT | |||||
| Yes | 4 | 1.54 (1.28, 1.85) | 14.50% | 0.319 | |
| No | 11 | 1.80 (1.52, 2.12) | 75.80% | <0.05 | 0.042 |
| Gender | |||||
| Men | 11 | 1.96 (1.56, 2.47) | 74.80% | <0.05 | |
| Postmenopausal women | 4 | 1.84 (1.42, 2.38) | 24.10% | 0.267 | |
| Premenopausal women | 4 | 1.64 (1.06, 2.54) | 51.40% | 0.104 | <0.001 |
| Metabolic syndrome criteria | |||||
| ATP III | 13 | 1.88 (1.74, 2.03) | 72.20% | <0.05 | |
| IDF | 2 | 1.53 (1.32, 1.77) | 0.00% | 0.589 | 0.015 |