Prevalence of Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases for New Patients Reporting to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
BACKGROUND
The risk factors of Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are not routinely monitored, especially among populace reporting to hospitals to detect and also advise on preventive measures, a key strategy to reducing the impact of NCDs on the Health Care System and population.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was carried out between the months of May and June, 2010 among a sample representative of the medical and surgical out-patients population to determine the prevalence of certain risk factors of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Participants (n = 230) were selected by systematic random sampling. Standardised international protocols were used to measure the prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, obesity, raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose and total cholesterol.


RESULTS
The obesity level of the study population was 40.4% with 54% being overweight. Tobacco use among the respondents was 4.8%. Alcohol consumption was 64.8%, with 54.3% of the study population being physically inactive. Almost 48%and 70.9% of the participants consumed fruits and vegetables respectively, at least three days in a week. The prevalence of hypertension was 33.6% for men and 35.2% for women. The prevalence of raised glucose and total blood cholesterol level among the study population was 6.5%. Almost 62% of the participants had a combination of three or more risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of the significant risk factors in this study were physical inactivity (54.3%), alcohol consumption (64.8%), overweight (54%), obesity (40.4%) and raised blood pressure (34.3%). Hospitals should therefore include NCD risk factor monitoring as part of routine services.
Pharmacy Department, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, P. O. Box KB 77, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana.
F
F
Nelson
Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health, P. O. Box 13, Legon, Accra, Accra, Ghana.
K M
KM
Nyarko
School of Public Health, University Of Ghana, P.O. Box 13, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
F N
FN
Binka
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol
Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital; Non-communicable disease; blood cholesterol; blood pressure; blood sugar; obesity; physical inactivity