Open AccessStudy of cardiovascular disease risk factors among rural schoolchildren in Sousse,Tunisia
Author(s) -
H. Ghannem,
L Trabelsi,
Rafika Gaha,
Imed Harrabi,
Essoussi As
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
eastern mediterranean health journal/eastern mediterranean health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.442
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1687-1634
pISSN - 1020-3397
DOI - 10.26719/2001.7.4-5.617
Subject(s) - medicine , epidemiology , obesity , disease , risk factor , environmental health , rural area , pediatrics , demography , pathology , sociology
We undertook an epidemiological survey based on a representative sample of 793 rural schoolchildren in Sousse, Tunisia to assess the prevalence of certain cardiovascular disease risk factors. The prevalence of hypertension [11.2%], hypercholesterolaemia [2.9%], hypertriglyceridaemia [1.0%], high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [0.6%] and obesity [4.0%] showed no statistically significant difference based on sex. However, smoking [4%] showed a significant gender difference [boys: 7.3%; girls 1.2%]. The relatively low cardiovascular disease risk factor profile of Tunisian children needs to be encouraged through to adulthood. Thus a school programme of heart health promotion should be established.