The objective of this study was to assess knowledge of metabolic syndrome (MS) among Chinese adults and provide directions for designing healthcare promotion schemes for improving MS awareness in the community.

The study adopted a cross-sectional design and a convenience sampling method.

Chinese adults aged 18–65 years and living in the community completed a self-administered questionnaire, providing socio-demographic information and indicating their knowledge of MS using a validated knowledge of MS (K-MS) scale comprising 10 multiple-choice questions. The scores of K-MS can range from 0 to 100.

A total of 297 participants were recruited (mean age = 51.3 ± 8.9 years), 66.7% of whom were women. More than half of all participants (n = 154) were identified as having MS and numerous participants were obese (n = 158). The mean K-MS score was 44.9 out of 100; most participants (61%) scored below 50, indicating a poor level of MS knowledge. Participants who were older, had a lower level of education or were unemployed scored the lowest.

Acquiring knowledge of MS is crucial for preventing the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, Chinese adults in a community setting exhibited poor understanding of MS. Public health efforts regarding primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases should be targeted at improving MS knowledge. Additional measures are needed to assist people in the low socioeconomic classes.