title: Blood pressure in the Congolese adult population of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo: Preliminary results from the Bukavu Observ Cohort Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Providing factual data about non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is of utmost importance in the sub-Saharan African countries where NCDs and arterial hypertension data remain scattered, scarce, and less representative given the region's heterogeneous population. Within this context, the interuniversity cooperation VLIR-UOS/Catholic University of Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo) has established an integrated project for monitoring hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors in the population of South Kivu. The aim of the study was to present the basic results of the determinants of blood pressure in the cohort studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2013 and 2014, trained interviewers collected the anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, and medical history of 7405 adults (3060 in urban areas and 4345 in rural areas) including 3162 males and 4243 females; the cohort is expected to be followed for 9 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the entire group was 33.0±16.7 years. Compared to men, women had significantly higher obesity indices (P<0.0001), lower blood pressure between 20 and 39 years of age (P<0.0001) but higher blood pressure at 60 years of age and older (P<0.0001). Blood pressure was positively correlated with body mass index, waist circumference, and paradoxically with consumption of vegetables, but negatively correlated with the consumption of fruit, intense physical activity, and relaxation at home.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that a cohort study is feasible in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The factual data analysis can contribute to health policy orientation and setting up of preventive measures. Since most correlated risk factors are preventable, recommendations can already be made in the fight against high blood pressure in this population.
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Département de médecine interne, faculté de médecine, université catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Electronic address: philkatch@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Katchunga
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Université de Gand, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Twagirumukiza
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Université de Gand, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kluyskens
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Département de médecine interne, faculté de médecine, université catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaishusha
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Département de médecine interne, faculté de médecine, université catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baguma
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Département de médecine interne, faculté de médecine, université catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bapolisi
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Département de médecine interne, faculté de médecine, université catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cikomola
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Institut de technique médicale, hôpital général de référence de Katana, Katana, Sud-Kivu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ntabure
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Université de Gand, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Callens
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Département de médecine interne, université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: M'Buyamba-Kabangu
authors.affiliation: Observatoire des maladies non transmissibles VLIR/UOS/UCB, Bukavu, The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Université de Gand, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Bortel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Blood pressure; Democratic Republic of Congo; Observ Study; Pression artérielle; République démocratique du Congo; South Kivu; Sud-Kivu; Étude Observ