Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Biostatistics and Epidemiology 2383-4196 11 4 2026 10 07 475 487 Fariba Moradi Ardekani Center for Cohort Study of SUMS Employees’ Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Kasra Assadian Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Alireza Heiran Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Iman Hatami Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Fatemeh Baberi Department of Epidemiology, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Elahe Mansouri Yekta Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Alireza Mirahmadizadeh Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Atefeh Torabi Ardekani Center for Cohort Study of SUMS Employees’ Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Seyed Jalil Masoumi Nutrition Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran Ali Zamani Department of Internal Medicine, Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 2025 02 02 2025 11 22 Background: Shift work, a characteristic of healthcare workers' jobs, is recognized as a contributing factor to various health conditions, particularly metabolic syndrome. However, the risk of this medical condition is still understudied among shift workers in the healthcare sector. This study investigated metabolic syndrome and its components in the "Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Employees Health Cohort Study" (SUMS EHCS), a branch of the PERSIAN cohort study in the south of Iran. Methods: Baseline data from 5,903 participants in SUMS EHCS were included. The ATP III criteria were used for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 23.50%, with abdominal obesity identified as the most common component (50.5%). The presence of underlying diseases was significantly associated with the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in both univariable (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.93 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.74, 2.14]; P < 0.001) and multivariable analyses (adjusted PR (aPR) = 1.94 [95% CI: 1.75, 2.15]; P < 0.001). No significant association was found between modifiable lifestyle factors and metabolic syndrome (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The similar prevalence of metabolic syndrome in healthcare workers compared to the general population highlights the need for similar preventive and curative health strategies, particularly focusing on underlying medical conditions to improve the metabolic health of healthcare workers. https://jbe.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jbe/article/view/1593