Assessment of some traditional cardiovascular risk factors in medical doctors in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

IntroductionAlmost one third of deaths globally are caused by cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Certain occupations may promote the development and worsening of risk factor for CVDs. We assessed some traditional cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle choices that may predispose to CVDs in medical doctors in a tertiary health facility in Southern Nigeria.Study designCross-sectional studyParticipants and methodsOne hundred sixty-nine apparently healthy medical doctors were recruited. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data on CVD risk factors. Anthropometric and blood pressure (BP) measurements were taken.ResultsMajority were males (68.0%), aged 20–39 years (43.8%), single (62.7%), and house officers (58.0%) with<1 year (48.5%) work experience. Over half were either overweight or obese. While 77.2% of those not centrally obese were males, only about 22.8% of females did not meet the criteria for central obesity (P-value < 0.05). While respondents had BP in prehypertensive (48.2%), stage 1 (18.5%), or stage 2 hypertension (3.6%) ranges, only 7.7% had a previous diagnosis of hypertension. Only 25.4% took fruits on a daily basis and engaged in aerobic exercises up to 30 minutes daily or at least 3–5 times a week. Other poor lifestyle choices included non-lean meat intake (76.8%), low water intake (88.2%), and junk food and soda drinks intake (daily 28%, weekly 51.2%).ConclusionFindings of a high prevalence of overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, and junk food intake and low fruits intake among doctors is worrisome. There is a need to educate doctors on adopting healthier lifestyles to reduce risk of CVDs.

Lifestyle choices and prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases among primary healthcare physicians in the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia

“…In addition, poor lifestyle choices were reported among their sample of physicians, with 81% of the physicians reporting low water intake and 51% reporting a weekly consumption of junk food and soft drinks. [ 31 ] These international findings are comparable to the findings of the current investigation and others conducted in Saudi Arabia, indicating the inadequate lifestyles of physicians.…”

Prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors among nurses and para-health professionals working at primary healthcare level of Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

“… 23 In accordance with this report, 23 high added salt intake and less fruit and/or vegetable intake were also detected among Bangladeshi SSNs and PHPs. Similar findings are also observed among HCPs of South Africa, 24 Pakistan, 25 India, 7 Nigeria 26 and Mexico. 27 A Bangladeshi study found that highly qualified academicians and clinicians involved in teaching, training and patient management were sufficiently aware of the health impacts of dietary salt intake but about 29% of them used to take added salt with their meals, 31.6% used a salty sauce in their meals, 52.8% used a salty sauce in cooking and 41.8% consumed processed food with high salt content.…”

Type 2 diabetes mellitus risk assessment among doctors in Ondo state

“…Majority of the respondents were young and there was male preponderance in this study which is similar to some previous studies involving medical doctors 14,15 . However, some other studies which involved doctors and other groups of health workers as participants had female preponderance [16][17][18] .…”

“…This is comparable with findings of Omech et al 13 who reported higher diabetic risk in females. The prevalence of obesity among the doctors in our study was 11.5% which is comparable with 13.6% reported among Nigerian doctors in Southern part of Nigeria and 12.5% reported among some health workers in Ghana 14,18 . Our finding was however; lower than 23.2% reported among health care providers in a teaching hospital in Plateau State, Nigeria 19 .…”