Health Rating, Obesity and Hypertension Among University Students in Nigeria by Gender and Ethnicity

Abstract

Background: There is evidence that students rating of health, obesity and hypertension are significantly related to gender, culture and ethnicity. Although, previous studies have suggested the need for regional and interregional comparison of health inequalities, however, literature indicated gaps in knowledge with regard to these variables. AIMs: This study explored health awareness, obesity and hypertension among university students in Nigeria by gender and ethnicity. Method: The study was cross sectional. Full time university students were recruited from six universities within the major three ethnic groups in Nigeria. Data collection was with an anonymous questionnaire. 1549 responses were valid, while 563 responses were rejected for missing data especially gender and ethnicity. The variables examined were, health awareness (general health, keeping eye on your health, seen a general practitioner (GP) recently, regular medication) obesity and hypertension. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were conducted. Results: Irrespective of ethnicity, more females than males saw their GP and had more regular medications. Further examination of the data, suggested that more Hausa students had seen their GP. Hausa females and Igbo males reported regular medications than other groups, while the Yoruba ethnic group saw their GP less frequently. More males were overweight or obese than females. More Yoruba males and Hausa females were overweight or obese. The study also indicated that over 90% of students reported normal blood pressure, and both by gender and ethnicity, there was no significant differences in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the health status of female students in the sample was poorer than those of male students; with female students from the Hausa ethnic group, demonstrating the worst possible health outcome.