Aim: With increasing urbanization of lifestyle, cardiovascular
morbidity and mortality have been on the increase in Africans. Studies
on cardiovascular risk factors in rural communities in South East
Nigeria are scarce. This study focused on hypertension and obesity in
adult Nigerians dwelling in a rural setting in Eastern Nigeria.
Materials and Methods: A total of 218 participants from the rural
community were recruited into the study. A questionnaire was used to
assess prior knowledge of their weight and blood pressure status as
well as drug history for those found to have hypertension. Each
participant\u2032s blood pressure was measured and any value
65140/90 mmHg was regarded as high blood pressure (HBP). Their
heights and weights were measured and their body mass indices (BMI)
calculated using the standard formula of BMI = Weight in Kg/Height in m
2 ; BMI 6530 Kg/m 2 was referred to as global obesity. Their waist
circumferences (WC) were also measured and any value 65102 cm for
males and 6588 cm for females was regarded as abdominal obesity.
Results: The general prevalence of HBP in the rural community was
44.5%. The prevalence of HBP increased as age increased and awareness
about HBP was low (15.2%). Females were more aware than the males. The
prevalence of HBP was higher in males (49.3%) compared with their
female counterparts (42.3%), whereas the females had a higher
prevalence of all forms of obesity (abdominal: 36.2%, global: 14.8%)
compared with the males (abdominal: 14.5%, global: 10.1%). Higher BMI
was associated with higher systolic and diastolic BP values.
Hypertensive participants had higher BMI and WC than those who had
normal BP. Conclusion: The prevalence of both hypertension and obesity
seems to be increasing in rural communities in Nigeria and thus, the
available prevalence documented in previous studies for rural
communities may no longer represent the current trend. Awareness of the
participants about these major cardiovascular risk factors is still
very low. Higher BMI was associated with higher values of both systolic
and diastolic BP