Abstract
Africa is experiencing a rapid increase in adult obesity and associated cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs). The H3Africa AWI-Gen Collaborative Centre was established to examine genomic and environmental factors that influence body composition, body fat distribution and CMD risk, with the aim to provide insights towards effective treatment and intervention strategies. It provides a research platform of over 10 500 participants, 40-60 years old, from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. Following a process that involved community engagement, training of project staff and participant informed consent, participants were administered detailed questionnaires, anthropometric measurements were taken and biospecimens collected. This generated a wealth of demographic, health history, environmental, behavioural and biomarker data. The H3Africa SNP array will be used for genome-wide association studies. AWI-Gen is building capacity to perform large epidemiological, genomic and epigenomic studies across several African counties and strives to become a valuable resource for research collaborations in Africa.
Highlights
Background and introductionAdult onset non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for 38 million deaths annually, of which 14 million occur between the ages of 30 and 70 years, with 85% of the latter occurring in low and middle income countries [1]
We provide a cross-disciplinary research environment including genomics and bioinformatics, and promote study opportunities for postgraduates, and skills development for both emerging and senior researchers
At the Dikgale centre more women were recruited due to the logistical challenges of recruiting men in a community where many men are working a distance from home and were reluctant to give up a weekend day to participate in the study
Summary
Adult onset non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for 38 million deaths annually, of which 14 million occur between the ages of 30 and 70 years, with 85% of the latter occurring in low and middle income countries [1]. Age Sex Country Home language Self-reported ethnicity/tribe Family composition Pregnancy status Marital status Employment Level of education Household attributes for social economic status (SES) Diabetes, stroke, hypertension, angina, heart attack, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, kidney diseases, breast/cervical/prostate/other cancers, asthma or reactive air diseases, weight problem/obesity Weight Height Blood pressure Pulse Waist circumference Hip circumference Visceral fat Subcutaneous fat Carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) Tobacco use Alcohol use Drug use Diet Exercise/general physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ) Exposure to pesticides Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV and thereby contribute to a large, unbiased and systematic profile of sub-Saharan African population genomic diversity that will serve as a resource for genetic epidemiological studies. There will be a process of managed access to phenotype and genetic data and biospecimens through approval from the H3Africa DBAC or through direct collaboration
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