The General Population Cohort (GPC) was set up in 1989 to examine trends in HIV prevalence and incidence, and their determinants in rural south-western Uganda. Recently, the research questions have included the epidemiology and genetics of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to address the limited data on the burden and risk factors for NCDs in sub-Saharan Africa. The cohort comprises all residents (52% aged ≥13years, men and women in equal proportions) within one-half of a rural sub-county, residing in scattered houses, and largely farmers of three major ethnic groups. Data collected through annual surveys include; mapping for spatial analysis and participant location; census for individual socio-demographic and household socioeconomic status assessment; and a medical survey for health, lifestyle and biophysical and blood measurements to ascertain disease outcomes and risk factors for selected participants. This cohort offers a rich platform to investigate the interplay between communicable diseases and NCDs. There is robust infrastructure for data management, sample processing and storage, and diverse expertise in epidemiology, social and basic sciences. For any data access enquiries you may contact the director, MRC/UVRI, Uganda Research Unit on AIDS by email to mrc@mrcuganda.org or the corresponding author.

Background Data on non-communicable disease (NCD) burden are often limited in developing countries in Africa but crucial for planning and implementation of prevention and control strategies. We assessed the prevalence of related cardiovascular disease risk factors (hyperglycaemia, high blood pressure and obesity) in a longstanding population cohort in rural Uganda.Methods Trained field staff conducted a cross-sectional population-based survey of cardiovascular disease risk indicators using a questionnaire and simple measurements of body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference, waist/hip ratio (WHR), blood pressure and random plasma glucose. All members of the population cohort aged ≥13 years were eligible to participate in the survey.Results Of the 4801 males and 5372 females who were eligible, 2719 (56.6%) males and 3959 (73.7%) females participated in the survey. Male and female participants had a mean standard deviation (SD) age of 31.8 (18.4) years and 33.7 (17.6) years, respectively. The observed prevalences of probable diabetes (glucose >11.0 mmol/l) and probable hyperglycaemia (7.0–11.0 mmol/l) were 0.4 and 2.9%, respectively. Less than 1% of males and 4% of females were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2), with 3.6% of males and 14.5% of females being overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2). However, in women, the prevalence of abdominal obesity was high (71.3% as measured by WHR and 31.2% as measured by waist circumference). The proportions of male and female current regular smokers were low (13.7 and 0.9%, respectively). The commonest cardiovascular disease risk factor was high blood pressure, with an observed prevalence of 22.5% in both sexes.Conclusions Population-based data on the burden of related cardiovascular disease risk factors can aid in the planning and implementation of an effective response to the double burden of communicable diseases and NCDs in this rural population of a low-income country undergoing epidemiological transition.