High prevalence and clustering of modifiable CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in southwest Nigeria: implication for grass root prevention.

N A Odunaiya,Q A Louw,K Grimmer

doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2028-3

Abstract

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is an immense global problem with serious economic and social consequences. Modifiable risk factors for CVD have been identified internationally in adolescents where early intervention programs have the potential to reduce CVD risk on individual and population levels. In developing countries such as Nigeria, little is known about the prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors among adolescents especially in the rural areas.MethodsThis paper reports on a cross-sectional survey of modifiable CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in South-West Nigeria. All 15–18 years old adolescents in all the schools at Ibarapa central local government were approached and all those who assented and consented to participate in the study were involved. A total of 1500 adolescents participated in the study. Measurements of CVD risks factors taken were; smoking, physical activity, alcohol, dietary pattern using a questionnaire developed by authors. Other CVD risk factors such as waist hip ratio and BMI were taken using standardized instruments. Data were analyzed using STATA version 12. ResultsData from 1079 adolescents (56.5 % males and 53.5 % females) were analyzed. Mean age of males was 16.4 ± 1.14 years and mean age for females was 16.29 ± 1.13 years. Adolescents showed clustering of CVD risk factors with about 72 % having between two and four risk factors. A total of 102 clustering patterns were reported. The most common clustering pattern (19.6 %) included high animal lipid and salt diet.ConclusionThere is high level and clustering of CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in Southwest Nigeria. The most common clustering pattern was biased towards dietary factors. The high prevalence of CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in Southwest Nigeria suggests that urgent primary prevention programs are required to prevent the next generation of Nigerians from suffering of CVD.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2028-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highlights

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an immense global problem with serious economic and social consequences
We hypothesized that there will be high prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors among male and female rural adolescents and there will be no significant difference in prevalence rate of CVD risk factors between male and female rural adolescents in Southwest Nigeria
Compared to any other two risk factors, there was a stronger correlation between smoking and alcohol as well as between low vegetable and low fruit intake (Table 5). This is the first study of rural adolescents in Nigeria to establish the prevalence of a wide range of modifiable CVD risk factors

Summary

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an immense global problem with serious economic and social consequences. Modifiable risk factors for CVD have been identified internationally in adolescents where early intervention programs have the potential to reduce CVD risk on individual and population levels. In developing countries such as Nigeria, little is known about the prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors among adolescents especially in the rural areas. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is on the increase in developing countries [1] causing twice as many deaths as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined [2] and more prevalent in the working- age population [3] resulting in large social and economic burden. In Nigeria, CVD is fourth among the top twenty diseases responsible for mortality [7]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion