Publication:

Clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors in a rural adult population in Nigeria

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for one third of global deaths and is the leading contributor to global disease burden. A non-communicable disease survey done in Nigeria helped determine the prevalence of major CVD risk factors in the country and showed a rising trend in the prevalence. This study aims to determine the proportion of adults in a rural farming community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with clustering of the following CVD risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, dyslipidaemia, hyperuricaemia, ECG-LVH, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption and physical inactivity.

Methods Descriptive cross-sectional survey carried out in a rural farming community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Stratified sampling method was used to recruit study subjects aged 18 years and above and a total of 500 subjects completed the survey. Socio-demographic information, anthropometric, blood pressure and ECG measurements were obtained. Venous samples were collected and analyzed.

Results Five hundred subjects participated. There were 156 males and 344 females with male to female ratio of 1:2.3. The overall mean age was 41.32±17.0 with range of 18 years to 95 years. The mean age for males was 42.84±17.8 and females 40.62±16.6. Overall, 38.2%, of subjects had 2 or more risk factors. Additionally, 42.1% of males and 31.4% of females had ≥2 of these risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression showed higher clustering of risk factors with increasing age, male gender, Government staff and higher educational attainment.

Conclusions Clustering of CVD risk factors is high in this rural community of Nigeria and requires integrated approach to its prevention, detection and treatment.