Blood Pressure Gradients and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Urban and Rural Populations in Abia State South Eastern Nigeria Using the WHO STEPwise Approach

Abstract

BackgroundDeveloping countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) face a double burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and communicable diseases. As high blood pressure (BP) is a common global cardiovascular (CV) disorder associated with high morbidity and mortality, the relationship between gradients of BP and other CV risk factors was assessed in Abia State, Nigeria.MethodsUsing the WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance of chronic disease risk factors, we conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey in Abia state, Nigeria from August 2011 to March 2012. Data collected at various steps included: demographic and behavioral risk factors (Step 1); BP and anthropometric measurements (Step 2), and fasting blood cholesterol and glucose (Step 3).ResultsOf the 2983 subjects with complete data for analysis, 52.1% were females and 53.2% were rural dwellers. Overall, the distribution of selected CV disease risk factors was diabetes (3.6%), hypertension (31.4%), cigarette smoking (13.3%), use of smokeless tobacco (4.8%), physical inactivity (64.2%) and being overweight or obese (33.7%). Presence of hypertension, excessive intake of alcohol, smoking (cigarette and smokeless tobacco) and physical inactivity occurred more frequently in males than in females (p<0.05); while low income, lack of any formal education and use of smokeless tobacco were seen more frequently in rural dwellers than in those living in urban areas (p<0.05). The frequency of selected CV risk factors increased as BP was graded from optimal, normal to hypertension; and high BP correlated with age, gender, smokeless tobacco, overweight or obesity, annual income and level of education.ConclusionGiven the high prevalence of hypertension in this part of Nigeria, there is an urgent need to focus on the reduction of preventable CV risk factors we have observed to be associated with hypertension, in order to effectively reduce the burden of NCDs in Africa.

Body mass index–measured adiposity and population attributability of associated factors: a population-based study from Buea, Cameroon

“…Higher rates of obesity have been reported in South Africa, with rates twice as high as our findings [9]. As expected, women were found to be significantly heavier than men, which confirm previous local reports [18, 30, 32] and findings elsewhere [10, 31, 33]. With respect to age, we noticed an overall increasing trend in prevalence of overweight and obesity that peaked at age group 45–54 years and 55–64 years for men and women respectively.…”

“…In Nigeria, Okpechi et al using the WHO STEPwise approach in a population-based cross-sectional study in Abia State found prevalence of overweight or obesity of 33.7% [10]. Similarly, a population survey among 1,521 Nigerian adults found overweight and obesity rates of 32.2% and 19.6% for men and 29.8% and 36% for women respectively [11].…”

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Hypertension among Civil Servants Working in Arba Minch Town, South Ethiopia

“…An increased in the prevalence of hypertension associated with age has been detected in this study, which is consistent with many other studies [25][26]. In this study, as many studies agreed, the risk of hypertension increased with age.…”

Hypertension Prevention and Control: Effects of a Community Health Nurse-led Intervention

“…In Nigeria, 57 million people are estimated to be hypertensive with many still undiagnosed. Hypertension is a disease that is both common in urban and rural populace [1,2]. It has been linked to unhealthy lifestyles habits (lack of exercise and rest, consumption of alcohol, tobacco products, excess fatty foods and dietary sodium) which are common in our society today [3].…”