Prevalence of raised body mass indices and the association with high blood pressure and hyperglycaemia in the rural black population of Ga-Mothapo village, Capricorn District of Limpopo province

Abstract

AbstractObjective: To assess the prevalence of elevated body mass index and to establish whether there was an association between raised body mass index (BMI) and high blood pressure (BP) and hyperglycaemia in the rural population of Ga-Mothapo village, Limpopo province.Design: Cross-sectional and prospective in nature.Setting: Ga-Mothapo village, a rural settlement with a population of 11 000, situated in the Capricorn region of Limpopo province, approximately 28 km east of Polokwane.Subjects: The study sample comprised 382 participants, of whom 286 were females (74.9%) and 96 males (25.1%), aged 18–65 years.Outcome measures: Fasting blood glucose samples were analysed using the ILab 300 Plus®. BP pressure was measured using an automatic BP monitor. Height and weight were measured using a height-measuring rod and weighing scale, respectively. The BMI was calculated.Results: The overall prevalence rates of overweight, obesity, high BP and hyperglycaemia were 30.6%, 23.6%, 27% and 11.8%, respectively. The ...