Gender-related differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and their correlates in urban Tanzania

Abstract

BackgroundUrban areas in Africa suffer a serious problem with dual burden of infectious diseases and emerging chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes which pose a serious threat to population health and health care resources. However in East Africa, there is limited literature in this research area. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and their correlates among adults in Temeke, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Results of this study will help inform future research and potential preventive and therapeutic interventions against such chronic diseases.MethodsThe study design was a cross sectional epidemiological study. A total of 209 participants aged between 44 and 66 years were included in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to evaluate socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics. Blood samples were collected and analyzed to measure lipid profile and fasting glucose levels. Cardiovascular risk factors were defined using World Health Organization criteria.ResultsThe age-adjusted prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30) was 13% and 35%, among men and women (p = 0.0003), respectively. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 11% and 58% (p < 0.0001), and high WHR (men: >0.9, women: >0.85) was 51% and 73% (p = 0.002) for men and women respectively. Women had 4.3 times greater odds of obesity (95% CI: 1.9–10.1), 14.2–fold increased odds for abdominal adiposity (95% CI: 5.8–34.6), and 2.8 times greater odds of high waist-hip-ratio (95% CI: 1.4–5.7), compared to men. Women had more than three-fold greater odds of having metabolic syndrome (p = 0.001) compared to male counterparts, including abdominal obesity, low HDL-cholesterol, and high fasting blood glucose components. In contrast, female participants had 50% lower odds of having hypertension, compared to men (95%CI: 0.3–1.0). Among men, BMI and waist circumference were significantly correlated with blood pressure, triglycerides, total, LDL-, and HDL-cholesterol (BMI only), and fasting glucose; in contrast, only blood pressure was positively associated with BMI and waist circumference in women.ConclusionThe prevalence of CVD risk factors was high in this population, particularly among women. Health promotion, primary prevention, and health screening strategies are needed to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Tanzania.

Prevalence,awareness and factors associated with hypertension in North West Tanzania

“…The association between overweight, obesity, large waist circumference and hypertension was found in both males and females in our study. It is estimated that a 10 kg increase in body weight raises blood pressure by 3 mmHg systolic and 2.3mmHg diastolic blood pressure [16], and this association concurs with many other studies in Africa [2,26,27,29]. Increased blood sugar was also associated with raised blood pressure, which also concurs with other studies worldwide [14].…”

“…Awareness of hypertension is an important factor for early identification and management, but it is poor in many low-income countries [15,16]. Community-based blood pressure screening may be an important way to raise awareness, and refer those with hypertension to receive health services, and this could be integrated with screening for other diseases and conditions such as HIV.…”

Nutritional status, lifestyle and knowledge of predisposing factors on hyperlipedemia among out-patients in Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH), Nigeria

“…This is in agreement with earlier study by Njeleka et al (2009) among adults in an urban east African setting where it was reported that cardiovascular disease risk factors, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes mellitus were prevalent among family members. Gordon and Margaret (2002) in their work also reported that diabetes mellitus runs in certain families and it sometimes co-exist with other cardiovascular related diseases.…”

Differences by sex in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glycaemia and impaired glucose tolerance in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…However, women in Ghana, 11 Nigeria, 12 Sierra Leone 13 and rural areas of the United Republic of Tanzania 14 were found to have lower prevalences of diabetes mellitus than the men in the same study areas. No significant differences between men and women in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus were detected in studies in Guinea, 15 Mali, 16 Sudan 17 and urban areas of the United Republic of Tanzania, 18 or in a meta-analysis of data collected in several studies in West Africa. 19 Although wide variations in the distribution of diabetes mellitus by sex have been documented in several review articles, [3][4][5]7,20 the possible causes of this heterogeneity have never been examined in detail.…”