Unmet needs of hypertension care in Nigeria: results of the community action against non-communicable diseases (COMAAND) project preintervention survey.

OBJECTIVE: Assessing the state of hypertension care remains the first step towards planning a robust health system needed to tackle the rising burden of hypertension. Prior to the commencement of the Community Action Against Non-Communicable Disease project, we assessed hypertension care using the hypertension care cascade (HCC). This will serve as a baseline to evaluate project performance upon completion. METHODS: Hypertensive subjects were grouped into a mutually exclusive care cascade of 5 categories including unscreened and undiagnosed; screened but undiagnosed; diagnosed but untreated; treated but uncontrolled and treated with controlled hypertension. RESULTS: Of the 372 participants, mean age 48.9 years, 161 (43.3%) were hypertensive, of whom only 12.0% had controlled blood pressure (BP). Among the 88.0% with uncontrolled BP,19.0% were unscreened and undiagnosed, 48.5% were screened but undiagnosed, 13.0% were diagnosed but untreated and 7.5% were treated but BP uncontrolled. The HCC demonstrates that 19% of the hypertensive patients were lost at the screening stage, 60% of those who were screened never diagnosed, 40% of those who were diagnosed did not receive treatment and 60% of those who were on treatment did not reach target BP. CONCLUSION: Unmet need of hypertension care is substantially high, thus underpinning the need for intervention with a multifaceted approach.

Serological markers and risk factors associated with Hepatitis B virus infection among Federal Capital Territory prison inmates, Nigeria: Should we be concerned?

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is hyper-endemic in Nigeria. Prisons are high-risk environments for the spread of infectious diseases. Worldwide, seroprevalence of HBV infection is substantially higher among individuals in correctional facilities when compared to general population. We determined the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with HBV infection among Kuje prison inmates, Nigeria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a prison facility based cross-sectional study. Interviewer administered questionnaires were used to obtain information on participants socio-demographic characteristics, HBV risk factors, previous HBV test and vaccination history. Blood samples collected from participants were analysed for HBsAg, HBsAb, HBcAb, HBeAg and HBeAb markers using rapid lateral chromatographic immunoassay kit. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis were performed. RESULTS: A total of 271 inmates (63 convicts and 208 awaiting trial inmates) were recruited into the study as participants. The mean age of the participants was 32.7 SD±9 years. HBV seroprevalence (HBsAg) of 13.7% (95% CI: 9.8-18.3) was found. 55.4% (95% CI: 49.2-61.4) of inmates were susceptible to HBV infection, 20.7% (95%CI; 16.0-26.0) had past HBV infection while 10.3% (95% CI: 7.0-14.6) had acquired natural or artificial HBV immunity. Factors found to be associated with current HBV infection (HBsAg) include age-group ≤25years (aOR = 8.0,95% CI: 2.9-22.3), being ever married (aOR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.7-10.4) and history of alcohol consumption (aOR = 3.4, 95% CI: 1.3-8.4). CONCLUSION: This study reveals a high seroprevalence of HBV infection among Kuje Prison inmates, hence the need to introduce prison-focused health intervention initiatives such as HBV screening, vaccination and care to reduce the transmission of HBV infection among inmates and ultimately the general population.

Prevalence of obesity and associated factors in Benue State, Nigeria: A population-based study.

Background: The prevalence of obesity has risen to over 650 million adults in 2016, and accounts for 41 million deaths globally. It is a major contributor to the burden of noncommunicable diseases. We determined the prevalence and associated factors of obesity to inform policy decisions toward developing robust prevention and management strategies. Materials and Methods: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in July 2017 among 1265 adults in urban and rural communities in Benue State. We used multistage sampling technique in selecting the participants. The WHO standardized and validated tool were used to collect information on sociodemographic and anthropometric measurements. We calculated age standardized prevalence of obesity and determined factors associated with obesity using logistic regression at 5% level of significance. Results: The age standardized prevalence of obesity was 11.1% (rural 4.2%, urban 14.3%). The odds for obesity was higher among females (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.27-4.99), those with tertiary education (aOR: 3.3; 95% CI: 1.61-6.95), married (aOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.37-3.36), and those residing in urban areas (aOR: 3.0; 95% CI: 1.73-5.05) compared to rural dwellers. Conclusions: The prevalence of obesity was high among adults in Benue State. It is more prevalent among females, married, educated, and urban dwellers. Interventions targeted at healthy lifestyle choices should be directed at these populations for effective control.

RésuméContexte: La prévalence de l'obésité est passée à plus de 650 millions d'adultes en 2016 et représente 41 millions de décès dans le monde. C'est un majeur contribuant au fardeau des maladies non transmissibles. Nous avons déterminé la prévalence et les facteurs associés de l'obésité pour éclairer les décisions politiques vers l'élaboration de stratégies solides de prévention et de gestion. Matériel et méthodes: Nous avons réalisé une analyse transversale basée sur la population étude réalisée en juillet 2017 auprès de 1265 adultes des communautés urbaines et rurales de l'État de Benue. Nous avons utilisé une technique d'échantillonnage à plusieurs degrés pour sélectionner les participants. L'outil normalisé et validé de l'OMS a été utilisé pour collecter des informations sur les mesures sociodémographiques et anthropométriques. Nous avons calculé la prévalence standardisée selon l'âge de l'obésité et déterminé les facteurs associés à l'obésité en utilisant une régression logistique à un niveau de 5% de importance. Résultats: La prévalence de l'obésité normalisée selon l'âge était de 11,1% (rurale 4,2%, urbaine 14,3%). Les probabilités d'obésité étaient plus élevées chez femmes (rapport de cotes ajusté [aOR]: 3,4; intervalle de confiance à 95% [IC]: 2,27­4,99), celles ayant fait des études supérieures (aOR: 3,3; IC à 95%: 1,61­6,95), mariés (aOR: 2,1; IC à 95%: 1,37­3,36) et ceux résidant dans les zones urbaines (aOR: 3,0; IC à 95%: 1,73­5,05) par rapport aux habitants des zones rurales. Conclusions: La prévalence de l'obésité était élevée chez les adultes de l'État de Benue. Il est plus répandu chez les femmes mariées, instruites et citadins. Les interventions ciblées sur les choix de modes de vie sains devraient être dirigées vers ces populations pour un contrôle efficace.