Prevalence of Behavioural Risk Factors for Non-communicable Diseases Among Adolescents in Schools in Benin in 2016

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Introduction: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa. The overall objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of behavioural risk factors for NCDs among adolescents in schools in Benin in 2016. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2016 and involving 3,841 adolescents of 10 to 19 years from 40 secondary schools in Benin. Participants were selected using a 2-level random sampling technique. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and were analysed using Stata software. Associated factors were investigated by a logistic regression. Results: The average age of the participants was 16.54 ± 0.04 and the sex ratio was 1.16. The prevalence of alcohol consumption was 48.3%, and was associated with residence and class. The prevalence of tobacco use was 8%, and was associated with gender, age, type of facility and residence. The prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 56.4%, and was associated with gender. The prevalence of physical inactivity was 12.4%, and was associated with age, class, socio-economic level of parents and type of facility. The consumption of soft drinks was 34.9%, and was associated with gender and type of establishment. The prevalence of under-consumption of fruit and vegetables was 94.3%. That of consumption of fast food was 38.6%, and was associated with the type of establishment, the class and the person who the adolescent lived with. Conclusion: This work shows the importance of NCDs’ Risk Factors in schools. It is now urgent to implement specific interventions in order to reverse the trend.