Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Among African University Students: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Cardiometabolic risk factors such as hypertension, overweight, and obesity have become increasingly common among African students who tend to become more sedentary in urban environments. This systematic review aimed to determine and identify major risk factors of cardiometabolic disease prevalence reported among African university students. Methods: The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (registration no.CRD42024553280). A comprehensive literature search was performed using scientific databases from Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, and African Journals Online (AJOL). The search was limited to articles published between 2000 and 2024, which reported cardiometabolic diseases/risk factors among African university students. Data were extracted using a standardised form, capturing details on study characteristics (author, year, location, study design), participant demographics (age, sex), prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases, and associated risk factors. Results: A total of thirty-seven studies that met the inclusion criteria, thirty-six cross-sectional and one longitudinal, were included in the study. The prevalence range of the various risk factors identified was 0.6–21.7% (obesity) and 0.28–26.4% (hypertension), 1.7–18.8% (diabetes), 0.5–18.2% (pre-diabetes), 1.9–48.6% (metabolic syndrome), and 1.1% to 57.3% (dyslipidemia). Some common sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy behaviours identified among the students were fast foods (21.3–85.73%), alcohol (3.7–63%), and smoking (1.02–13%). Conclusions: The review’s findings suggest that rapid urbanisation and changes in lifestyle and behaviours are responsible for an increased prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors in African university students. Targeted health promotion programmes, regular screening, and policy interventions might all go a long way in preventing the predicted increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases among this group of young adults in Africa.