Sociodemographic, Self-Efficacy, and Health-Related Factors According to the Stages of Change in Physical Activity and Dietary Management Among Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Secondary Analysis of a Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: This study aimed to examine differences in sociodemographic characteristics, self-efficacy, and health-related factors across the stages of change for physical activity and dietary management among patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: This secondary analysis included 208 adults aged 40–<70 with MetS who were recruited from a university hospital in South Korea. Participants had either a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or an intermediate-to-high 10-year CVD risk. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Kruskal–Wallis test. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 22.0 and RStudio version 2026.08.1. Results: Across the stages of change for physical activity, significant differences were observed in age, healthy diet, self-care, and current smoking status. Across the stages of change for dietary management, significant differences were observed in healthy diet and self-care. When participants were classified into no-action, single-action, and double-action groups based on their stages of change for physical activity and dietary management, significant differences were found in age, employment status, healthy diet, self-care, and current smoking status. Conclusions: These findings suggest that interventions for patients with MetS should be tailored to their stages of change and health-related characteristics. In particular, interventions that address both physical activity and dietary management and strengthen collaborative relationships with healthcare providers may help promote health behavior change in this population.