title: Prevalence and Knowledge Assessment of HIV and Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors among Formal Sector Employees in Namibia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is growing in sub-Saharan Africa combined with an already high prevalence of infectious disease, like HIV. Engaging the formal employment sector may present a viable strategy for addressing both HIV and NCDs in people of working age. This study assesses the presence of three of the most significant threats to health in Namibia among employees in the formal sector: elevated blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, and HIV and assesses the knowledge and self-perceived risk of employees for these conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A health and wellness screening survey of employees working in 13 industries in the formal sector of Namibia was conducted including 11,192 participants in the Bophelo! Project in Namibia, from January 2009 to October 2010. The survey combined a medical screening for HIV, blood glucose and blood pressure with an employee-completed survey on knowledge and risk behaviors for those conditions. We estimated the prevalence of the three conditions and compared to self-reported employee knowledge and risk behaviors and possible determinants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  25.8% of participants had elevated blood pressure, 8.3% of participants had an elevated random blood glucose measurement, and 8.9% of participants tested positive for HIV. Most participants were not smokers (80%), reported not drinking alcohol regularly (81.2%), and had regular condom use (66%). Most participants could not correctly identify risk factors for hypertension (57.2%), diabetes (57.3%), or high-risk behaviors for HIV infection (59.5%). In multivariate analysis, having insurance (OR:1.15, 95%CI: 1.03 - 1.28) and a managerial position (OR: 1.29, 95%CI: 1.13 - 1.47) were associated with better odds of knowledge of diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of elevated blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, and HIV among employees of the Namibian formal sector is high, while risk awareness is low. Attention must be paid to improving the knowledge of health-related risk factors as well as providing care to those with chronic conditions in the formal sector through programs such as workplace wellness.
authors.affiliation: PharmAccess Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Leonor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guariguata
authors.affiliation: PharmAccess Foundation, Windhoek, Namibia.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Beer
authors.affiliation: PharmAccess Foundation, Windhoek, Namibia.
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hough
authors.affiliation: PharmAccess Foundation, Windhoek, Namibia.
authors.forename: Pancho
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mulongeni
authors.affiliation: Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Frank G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Feeley
authors.affiliation: PharmAccess Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tobias F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Rinke de Wit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009276:Namibia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose