Background:Hypertension is a critical public health issue in South Africa. Commercial taxi drivers constitute a vulnerable group who are predisposed to hypertension due to the nature of their work. Yet, unlike other population sub-groups, their health status and lifestyle behaviour have rarely been investigated.Objective:To screen for hypertension and the associated risks factors among commercial taxi drivers in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), South Africa.Methods:This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study of a convenience sample of 403 commercial taxi drivers in BCMM. The modified WHO STEPwise questionnaire was used for obtaining demographic and behavioural information from the participants. Blood pressure (BP), blood glucose and anthropometric measurements followed standard procedure. Pre-hypertension was defined as systolic BP of 120-139 mmHg and diastolic BP of 80-89 mmHg and hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140mmHg and/or diastolic BP of ≥90mmHg, self-reported history of hypertension or current medication use. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to determine the prevalence and associated factors of hypertension. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:The study participants were 98.8% male, age ranged from 20 to 74 years, with a mean age of 43.3 years (SD±12.5).The prevalence of pre-hypertension was 33.7% and hypertension was 57.0%. After adjusting for confounders, age>35 years (p=0.004), obesity and alcohol use (p<0.001), period of driving>5years (p=0.028) and diabetes (P=0.003) were significant predictors of hypertension.Conclusion:The prevalence of hypertension among commercial taxi drivers in BCMM is high and associated with ageing and other cardiovascular risk factors. There is a need for interventions aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle and reduction of hypertension among this group, particularly the older ones.

Background and Aim:Urbanisation and westernisation have greatly influenced the metabolic health of individuals in South Africa, with resultant increase in metabolic syndrome (METs) components. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with METs among adults in Buffalo City Municipality, East London, South Africa.Methods:This was a healthcare facility-based cross-sectional, descriptive study. The World Health Organisation STEPwise demographic and lifestyle behavioural questionnaire was used to collect relevant data from 998 participants. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and fasting blood glucose were measured using standardised protocols. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using the International Diabetes Federation criteria.Results:The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 21.8%; 15.6% and 24.8% among males and females, respectively. The prevalence of METs was higher among participants who were aged 56 years and above, with low level of education (grade 1 – 7), married and retired. After adjusting for confounders, only age 26 and above (AOR=4.1, CI=2.0-8.4), marriage (AOR=2.3 CI=1.6-3.3), female sex (AOR=1.6, CI=1.1-2.4), alcohol use (AOR=2.0, CI= 1.3-3.1), unemployment (AOR=1.8, CI= 1.2-2.6) and earning an income below ZAR1200 (AOR= 1.1, CI= 1.1-2.4) were significant and independent predictors of METs. Participants aged 26 and above were four times more likely to have METs. Married non-alcohol users and unemployed participants were two times more likely to have METs than unmarried alcohol users and employed individuals.Conclusion:There was a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the participants which indicates a high risk for cardiovascular diseases; a leading cause of premature morbidity and mortality.

Undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus constitutes a significant threat to the health of commercial taxi drivers, safety of the passengers and other road users. This study determines the prevalence of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus among commercial taxi drivers in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), Eastern Cape and examines the factors associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus.A cross-sectional survey of 403 commercial taxi drivers was undertaken using the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise approach. Anthropometric, blood pressure, and blood glucose measurements followed standard procedure. Diabetes status was determined using the fasting blood glucose (FBG) test. Diabetes was defined as a FBG ≥7.0mmol/L or self-reported history of diabetes or current diabetes medication use (treatment), while pre-diabetes was defined as a FBG of 5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L. Awareness of diabetes was defined as a self-reported history of diabetes.The mean age of the study participants was 43.3 ± 12.5years. Prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes were 17% (95% CI: 13.4–20.6) and 16% (95% CI: 12.4–19.6), respectively. Of those who had diabetes (n = 63), the majority were aware of their diabetes status (n = 43) and were on treatment (n = 30). In the unadjusted logistic regression, age, ever married, hypertension, obesity, and driving for more than 5 years were independently associated with diabetes. However, only age >35 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]= 3.65, CI: 1.17–11.32), ever married (AOR= 3.26, CI: 1.52–6.99) and hypertension (AOR= 3.23, CI: 1.56–6.69) were associated with diabetes in the adjusted logistic regression model.The prevalence of diabetes among commercial taxi drivers in this study is high, almost twice the national prevalence of diabetes in South Africa. Periodic health screening among this sub-population group is important to bridge the gap of undiagnosed diabetes in South Africa.

Aim: Tobacco use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, premature death and certain cancers. This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of tobacco use among adults in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), South Africa. Methods: This study forms part of the cardio-metabolic risk survey carried out at the three largest outpatient clinics in BCMM. This multi-centre cross-sectional survey utilised the relevant items of the WHO STEPwise questionnaire to obtain information on demographic and behavioural characteristics of 1 107 participants. A total of 109 participants were excluded as a result of incomplete data. Thus, 998 participants (male = 327; female = 671) were included in the analysis. Self-reported, current use of any tobacco product was defined as tobacco use while secondary smoking was defined as exposure of non-smokers to environmental tobacco smoke, either at home or in the workplace. Results: Of all the study participants, 150 (15%) were current tobacco users and 335 (39.5%) of the non-smoking participants were exposed to secondary smoking. The majority of the tobacco users were males (70.7%) compared with females (29.3%). The commonest form of tobacco use was the manufactured cigarette. The mean age at initiation of smoking was 18.3 ± 5.1 and 22.6 ± 8.0 years for men and women, respectively. Only male sex (p = 0.000), single status (p = 0.003), no formal education (p = 0.007) and self-employment (p = 0.043) were significantly associated with tobacco use. Conclusion: High prevalence of tobacco use, especially cigarette smoking, in BCMM is worrisome given its strong association with cardiovascular events and cancers. The district health authorities should prioritise smoking cessation measures at the primary health care level. (Full text of the research articles are available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojfp) S Afr Fam Pract 2017; DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2017.1340251

BACKGROUND: Commercial drivers have been identified as eliciting behaviours that promote non- communicable diseases and road traffic accidents. The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence and pattern of alcohol use, smoking and physical inactivity among commercial taxi drivers in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 commercial drivers using the face-to-face interviews method. The WHO STEPwise questionnaire was used to obtain the demographic data, self-reported rate of alcohol consumption, tobacco use and physical inactivity. RESULTS: The participants&rsquo; mean age was 43.3 &plusmn; 12.5 years. About 30% of the participants were daily smokers, 37% consumed alcohol regularly and only 18% were physically active, whilst 82% were physically inactive. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of alcohol use, smoking and physical inactivity is high among commercial drivers in East London. Workplace health education on the health effects of these lifestyles&rsquo; risky behaviours on individuals and the general public should be given to the drivers.