Estimating mean population salt intake using spot urine samples in Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the usefulness of spot urine testing compared with 24-h urine samples to estimate salt intake in low-income settings. This is given 24-h urinary collection can be costly, burdensome, and impractical in population surveys. The primary objective of the study was to compare urinary sodium levels (as an estimate of salt intake) of Nepalese population between 24-h urine and spot urine using previously established spot urine-based equations. Additionally, this study explored the 24-h prediction of creatinine and potassium excretion from spot urine samples using available prediction equations. METHODS: The sample population was derived from the community-based survey conducted in Nepal in 2018. Mean salt intake was estimated from spot urine samples comparing previously published equations, and this was then contrasted with mean salt intake estimations from 24-h urine samples, using paired t test, Pearson correlation coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient, and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: A total of 451 participants provided both complete 24-h and morning spot urine samples. Unweighted mean (±SD) salt intake based on 24-h urine collection was 13.28 ±â€Š4.72 g/day. The corresponding estimates were 15.44 ±â€Š5.92 g/day for the Kawasaki, 11.06 ±â€Š3.17 g/day for the Tanaka, 15.22 ±â€Š16.72 g/day for the Mage, 10.66 ±â€Š3.35 g/day for the Toft, 8.57 ±â€Š1.72 g/day for the INTERSALT with potassium, 8.51 ±â€Š1.73 g/day for the INTERSALT without potassium, 7.88 ±â€Š1.94 g/day for the Whitton, 18.13 ±â€Š19.92 g/day for the Uechi simple-mean and 12.07 ±â€Š1.77 g/day using the Uechi regression. As compared with 24-h urine estimates, all equations showed significant mean differences (biases); the Uechi regression had the least difference with 9% underestimation (-1.21 g/day, P  < 0.001).Proportional biases were evident for all equations depending on the level of salt intake in the Bland-Altman plots. CONCLUSION: None of the included spot urine-based equations accurately corresponded to 24-h salt intake in the present study. These equations may be useful for longitudinal monitoring of population salt intake in Nepal, our study highlights that there are limitations on using existing equations for estimating mean salt intake in Nepali population. Further studies are warranted for accuracy and validation.

Association between reproductive lifespan and risk of incident type 2 diabetes and hypertension in postmenopausal women: Findings from a 20-year prospective study.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the association between reproductive lifespan and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension in mid-age women. Also, the combined effect of reproductive lifespan and body mass index (BMI) on the risks of T2DM and hypertension were explored. METHODS: Reproductive lifespan was defined as the difference between age at menopause and age at menarche, and categorized as <35, 35-37, 38-40, and ≥41 years based on the quartile distribution. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used, adjusting for socio-demographic, lifestyle, and reproductive factors. RESULTS: Of 6357 postmenopausal women included (mean [SD] age at last follow-up, 66.3[3.3] years), a total of 655 developed incident T2DM (10.3%) and 1741 developed hypertension (30.0%) during 20 years of follow-up. The total sample had a mean (SD) reproductive lifespan of 37.9 (4.5). Compared with the women who had a reproductive lifespan of 38-40 years, those with a short reproductive lifespan (<35 years) had a 30% increased risk of T2DM and twice the risk of hypertension. Under the combined model, women who had a short reproductive lifespan (<35 years) and who had a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 at baseline showed a higher risk of T2DM (HR: 6.30, 95% CI: 4.41-8.99) and hypertension (HR: 6.06, 4.86-7.55) compared with women who had a reproductive lifespan of 38-40 years and a BMI < 25 kg/m2. CONCLUSIONS: A higher risk of both incident T2DM and hypertension at midlife was found among women experiencing a shorter reproductive lifespan, with pronounced risk for women experiencing both a short reproductive lifespan (<35 years) and a higher baseline BMI (≥30 kg/m2). Women with a short reproductive lifespan may benefit from maintaining healthy body weight in midlife.

Adherence Clubs to Improve Hypertension Management in Nigeria: Clubmeds, a Feasibility Study.

Background: Hypertension control remains a significant challenge in reducing the cardiovascular disease burden worldwide. Community peer-support groups have been identified as a promising strategy to improve medication adherence and blood pressure (BP) control. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and impact of adherence clubs to improve BP control in Southeast Nigeria. Methods: This was a mixed-methods research involving a formative (pre-implementation) research, pilot study and process evaluation. Hypertensive patients in two communities were recruited into peer-support adherence clubs under the leadership of role-model patients to motivate and facilitate medication adherence, BP monitoring, and monthly medication delivery for six months. The primary outcome was medication adherence measured using visual analogue scale (VAS), with BP level at six months as a key secondary outcome. Results: We recruited a total of 104 participants. The mean age was 56.8 (SD-10.7) years, 72 (69.2%) were women, mean BP was 146.7 (SD-20.1)/86.9 (SD-11.2) mmHg, and the mean percentage of medication adherence on the VAS was 41.4% (SD-11.9%). At six months, 67 patients were assessed; self-reported adherence on the VAS increased to 57.3% (SD-25.3%) (mean difference between baseline and follow-up of 15.5%, p < 0.0001), while the mean BP decreased to 132.3 (SD-22.0)/82.9 (SD-12.2) mmHg (mean difference of 13.0 mmHg in systolic BP, p < 0.0001 and of 3.6 mmHg in diastolic BP, p = 0.02). Five in-depth interviews and four focus groups discussions were conducted as part of the qualitative analyses of the study. The participants saw hypertension as a big issue, with many unaware of the diagnosis, and they accepted the CLUBMEDS differential service delivery (DSD) model concept in hypertension. Conclusions: The study demonstrates that the implementation of adherence clubs for hypertension control is feasible and led to a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in self-reported medication adherence, resulting in BP reduction. Upscaling the intervention may be needed to confirm these findings.

Epidemiological studies of the association between reproductive lifespan characteristics and risk of Type 2 diabetes and hypertension: A systematic review.

Some reproductive factors are found to be associated with metabolic outcomes in women; however, little is known about reproductive lifespan characteristics and the mutual effect of age at menarche and age at menopause on cardiovascular risk. This systematic review evaluated reproductive lifespan characteristics and describes the mutual effect of age at menarche and age at menopause on the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and hypertension at midlife. PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were screened for studies published up to September 1, 2020. The individual effect estimates were reviewed and synthesized without meta-analysis due to methodological and clinical or conceptual diversity in reported studies. Of the 3033 identified studies, 20 were included in the final synthesis: 6 reported reproductive life span; 12 reported age at menarche, and 7 reported age at menopause. Synthesis of two cohorts, with a median follow-up of 9-11 years, showed that a shorter reproductive lifespan was positively associated with T2DM, yielding 6-15% higher risk of T2DM for a one-year decrease in reproductive lifespan. A few studies also demonstrated that women who experienced early menarche (four of six studies) and early menopause (two of five studies) were positively associated with risk of T2DM. The association between reproductive lifespan and hypertension was unclear due to the limited availability of studies. Our findings suggest that a shorter reproductive lifespan is associated with T2DM risk in postmenopausal women, especially those with early menarche and early menopause. Large cohort studies are needed to assess the association between reproductive lifespan and incident hypertension in midlife.

Association Between Reproductive Life Span and Incident Nonfatal Cardiovascular Disease: A Pooled Analysis of Individual Patient Data From 12 Studies.

Importance: Early menarche and early menopause are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in midlife, but little is known about the association between reproductive life span and the risk of CVD. Objective: To investigate the association between the length of reproductive life span and risk of incident CVD events, while also considering the timing of menarche and menopause. Design, Setting, and Participants: Individual-level data were pooled from 12 studies participating in the International Collaboration for a Life Course Approach to Reproductive Health and Chronic Disease Events consortium. Women provided complete information on the timing of menarche and menopause, nonfatal CVD events, and covariates. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% CIs, adjusted for covariates. The association between reproductive life span and CVD was adjusted for age at menarche and age at menopause separately. Analysis began March 2018 and ended December 2019. Exposures: Reproductive life span was calculated by subtracting age at menarche from age at menopause and categorized as younger than 30, 30 to 32, 33 to 35, 36 to 38 (reference group), 39 to 41, 42 to 44, and 45 years or older. Main Outcomes and Measures: First nonfatal CVD event, including coronary heart disease and stroke events. Results: A total of 307 855 women were included. Overall, the mean (SD) ages at menarche, menopause, and reproductive life span were 13.0 (1.5) years, 50.2 (4.4) years, and 37.2 (4.6) years, respectively. Pooled analyses showed that women with a very short reproductive life span (<30 years) were at 1.71 (95% CI, 1.58-1.84) times higher risk of incident CVD events than women with a reproductive life span of 36 to 38 years after adjustment for covariates. This association remained unchanged when adjusted for age at menarche but was attenuated to 1.26 (95% CI, 1.09-1.46) when adjusted for age at menopause. There was a significant interaction between reproductive life span and age at menarche associated with CVD risk (P < .001). Women who had both short reproductive life span (<33 years) and early menarche (age ≤11 years) had the highest risk of CVD (hazard ratio, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.76-2.41) compared with those with a reproductive life span of 36 to 38 years and menarche at age 13 years. Conclusions and Relevance: Short reproductive life span was associated with an increased risk of nonfatal CVD events in midlife, and the risk was significantly higher for women with early age at menarche.

Adapting a club-based medication delivery strategy to a hypertension context: the CLUBMEDS Study in Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa is among the world's highest; however, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in this region are suboptimal. Among other barriers, the overburdened healthcare system poses a great challenge for hypertension control. Community peer-support groups are an alternative and promising strategy to improve adherence and blood pressure (BP) control. The CLUBMEDS study aims to evaluate the feasibility and impact of adherence clubs to improve hypertension control in Nigeria. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The CLUBMEDS study will include a formative (pre-implementation) qualitative evaluation, a pilot study and a process (postimplementation) qualitative evaluation. At the formative stages, focus group discussions with patient groups and in-depth interviews with healthcare providers, managers and key decision makers will be conducted to understand the feasibility, barriers and facilitators, opportunities and challenges for the successful implementation of the CLUBMEDS strategy. The CLUBMEDS pilot study will be implemented in two primary healthcare facilities, one urban and one rural, in Southeast Nigeria. Each adherence club, which consists of a group of 10-15 patients with hypertension under the leadership of a role-model patient, serves as a support group to encourage and facilitate adherence, BP self-monitoring and medication delivery on a monthly basis. A process evaluation will be conducted at the end of the pilot study to evaluate the acceptability and engagement with the CLUBMEDS strategy. To date, 104 patients were recruited and grouped into nine clubs, in which patients will be followed-up for 6 months. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved by the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki Human Research Ethics Committees and all patients provided informed consent. Our findings will provide preliminary data on the potential effectiveness and acceptance of this strategy in a hypertension context. Study findings will be disseminated via scientific forums.

Understanding and Motivations of Female Community Health Volunteers About Blood Pressure Control: A Prerequisite for Developing Community-Based Hypertension Interventions in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy and attitudes of female community health volunteers (FCHV) toward hypertension management in the context of Nepal are not well understood. Therefore, it is important to explore the potential for the effectiveness for blood pressure screening and perceptions on their likely ability to promote a blood pressure reduction at community level. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to explore the knowledge and attitudes of FCHV related to hypertension prevention and control. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with FCHV located inside Lekhnath municipality. A total of 113 FCHV were interviewed in the survey using a questionnaire on knowledge and attitudes related to hypertension and risk factors. RESULTS: The percentages of FCHV with low, medium, and high levels of knowledge about hypertension were 43%, 24%, and 31%, respectively. Almost all of the respondents considered hypertension a major problem in their community and they would like to receive training for blood pressure screening. No significant differences were observed in the knowledge and attitudes related to hypertension in relation to demographic characteristics of FCHV. A majority of FCHV agreed that smoking (69.8%), alcohol (77.8%), low physical activity (42.4%), high salt intake (65.4%), high fat intake (78.7%), and genetics (53.9%) are major risk factors for hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that there is a background need to improve the health literacy for blood pressure management. There is also a need for development and implementation of a community-based intervention aimed at mobilizing female community health volunteers for detection and management of hypertension at the community level in Nepal. Our study demonstrated a high level of interest and readiness for blood pressure prevention, control, and management in community settings.

Factors Associated with Underweight among Children of Former-Kamaiyas in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Bonded labor was a tradition in Nepal since the 16th century. In 2002, the Government of Nepal freed Kamaiyas and gave the newly freed individuals support for basic living. Many children of former-Kamaiyas live below subsistence level and are vulnerable to undernutrition. The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with underweight among the children of former-Kamaiyas. METHODS: We conducted the community based cross-sectional study from June to December, 2012. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using semi-structured questionnaires with randomly selected mothers of 280 children under 5 years of age from former-Kamaiya families residing in Banke district. We also measured the weight and height of the children. Undernutrition was defined according to the World Health Organization child growth standards. Factors associated with underweight were examined using a Chi-square test followed by multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Out of 280 children, 116 (41.4%) were underweight (≤2 SD weight-for-age), 156 (55.7%) were stunted (≤2 SD height-for-age), and 52 (18.6%) were wasted (≤2 SD weight-for-height). Females were more likely to be underweight than males [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.696, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.026-2.804]. Children were less likely to be underweight if they were having daily bath (aOR = 0.532; 95% CI = 0.314-0.899) or if their mothers were ≥24 years of age (aOR = 0.440; 95% CI = 0.266-0.727). CONCLUSION: The proportion of underweight, stunting, and wasting was more than the national average among the children of former-Kamaiyas. Female children were more likely to be underweight whereas children who were being bathed daily and with mothers whose age was ≥24 years were less likely to be underweight.