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Clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors among first-year students at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the second leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, there is substantial evidence that modifiable risk factors for CVD are increasing in adolescents. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of information on the prevalence and clustering of these risk factors in adolescents.

OBJECTIVES:

This study explores the modifiable risk factors for CVD among first-year students at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

DESIGN AND SETTING:

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

METHODS:

A total of 546 newly admitted students at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, were recruited using stratified random sampling. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information from study participants between January and February 2016.

RESULTS:

The mean age of respondents was 19 ± 2.2 years with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1. The reported risk factors for CVD were smoking (1.6%), abdominal obesity (3.3%), alcohol consumption (3.7%), overweight/obesity (20.7%), unhealthy diet (85.3%), and physical inactivity (94.5%). Clustering of ≥ 2 risk factors was reported in 23.4% of students. Female students were twice as probably overweight/obese as male students (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.2; confidence interval [CI] = 1.41–3.43). Students whose fathers were skilled workers were 3.5 times more likely to be physically inactive (AOR = 1.7; CI = 0.97–2.96). The clustering of ≥ 2 risk factors was significantly higher among women and Muslims in bivariate analysis, whereas no significant association was found in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS:

Public health strategies to prevent CVD risk factors should begin in schools and extend to the entire community.

KEY WORDS (MeSH terms):
Cardiovascular diseases; Cluster analysis; Risk factors; Sedentary behavior

AUTHORS’ KEYWORDS:
Clustering; Unhealthy diet; Physical inactivity

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