The Rise of Noncommunicable Diseases in Kenya: An Examination of the Time Trends and Contribution of the Changes in Diet and Physical Inactivity

Abstract

This study examined correlations of historical changes in diet and physical inactivity with the rise of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Kenya. Historical data on diet, wage jobs by industry, urbanization, gross domestic product (GDP), and morbidity due to NCDs were extracted from Kenya Statistical Abstracts, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAOSTAT), and the World Bank online database. These data were plotted and correlations between these factors and the incidence of different NCDs over time were evaluated. There was a rapid rise in the incidence of circulatory disease starting in 2001, and of hypertension and diabetes starting in 2008. The rise of these NCDs, especially hypertension and diabetes, was accompanied over the same period by a rise in per capita GDP and physical inactivity (as measured by increased urbanization and declining proportion of agricultural and forestry wage jobs); a rise in per capita supply of rice, wheat and its products, and cooking oils; and a decline in the per capita supply of maize and sugar. In conclusion, the positive correlations between indicators of dietary consumption and physical inactivity and rates of hypertension, circulatory disease, and diabetes suggest that the rapid rise of NCDs in Kenya may be, in part, due to changes in these modifiable factors.

Validity and reliability of a dish-based semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for assessment of energy and nutrient intake among Iranian adults

“…The inclusion of dishes in the list of FFQ food items may improve accuracy and precision of the collected data in two ways [3,22]. First, NCDs are linked to culture-specific cooking methods and ingredients [3,[30][31][32]. Second, in the FFQs in which dishes are not included people may not report invisible parts of a mixed dish because they are neither engaged in their cooking process nor can see the ingredients of different recipes.…”

Socioeconomic inequalities in hypertension in Kenya: a decomposition analysis of 2015 Kenya STEPwise survey on non-communicable diseases risk factors

“…The high burden of overweight and obesity in Kenya could be attributed to the rapid urbanisation, economic development, and the related unhealthy behaviours such as consumption of energy dense processed food and sedentary lifestyles [51]. As an ecological study in Kenya has showed, there is a positive association between the rise of NCDs including hypertension in Kenya and the increase in per capita gross domestic product, urbanisation, physical inactivity and consumption of high dense processed foods such as cooking oil and wheat [52]. Surprisingly, undernutrition independently contributed 14.1% of the observed inequality, which could reflect the high prevalence of hypertension (16.7%) among the 16% of our study population who were undernourished.…”

Socioeconomic inequalities in hypertension in Kenya: A decomposition analysis of 2015 Kenya STEPwise survey on non-communicable diseases risk factors

“…The high burden of overweight and obesity in Kenya could be attributed to the rapid urbanisation, economic development, and the related unhealthy behaviours such as consumption of energy dense processed food and sedentary lifestyles [51]. As an ecological study in Kenya has showed, there is a positive association between the rise of NCDs including hypertension in Kenya and the increase in per capita gross domestic product, urbanisation, physical inactivity and consumption of high dense processed foods such as cooking oil and wheat [52]. Surprisingly, undernutrition independently contributed 14.1% of the observed inequality, which could re ect the high prevalence of hypertension (16.7%) among the 16% of our study population who were undernourished.…”