Open AccessSocio-demographic and modifiable risk factors of diabetes and hypertension among resource constrained patients from rural areas in Mdantsane Township in South Africa
Author(s) -
Lettilia Xhakaza,
Zaisa Abrahams-October,
Mohammedmekin Mohammedseid Mohammednur,
Brendon Pearce,
Oladele Vincent Adeniyi,
Rabia Johnson,
Mongi Benjeddou
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
african health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.391
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1729-0503
pISSN - 1680-6905
DOI - 10.4314/ahs.v20i3.41
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetes mellitus , resource (disambiguation) , environmental health , rural population , rural health , rural area , population , pathology , endocrinology , computer network , computer science
Background: Recently, developing countries have shown a dramatic increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The burden of NCDs in South Africa has increased over the past years resulting in an estimated 37% of all- cause mortality and 16% of disability-adjusted life years. Currently, diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) are the two most prevalent NCDs associated with the rapid increase in mortality.
Objective: To demonstrate the socio-demographic and modifiable risk factors of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) among South African adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital serving the residents of Mdantsane. Relevant socio-demographic data, anthropometric measurements, triplicate blood pressure, fasting blood glu- cose and lipogram analysis were obtained from 265 outpatients.
Results: Multivariate anlysis shows that; salt intake, smoking, elevated triglycerides and decreased high-density lipoprotein levels were significantly associated with DM with adjusted odds ratio of 0.18 (p=0.002), 0.26 (p=0.048), 2.19 (p=0.006) and 0.38 (p=0.001), respectively. Overweight and obesity were significantly associated with hypertension with odds ratio of 0.03 (p=0.01) and 0.06 (p=0.006), respectively.
Conclusion: The burden of DM and HTN on society can be drastically reduced with simple lifestyle changes, development of preventative strategies, large-scale screening and better disease management in South Africa.
Keywords: Diabetes; hypertension; rural areas; Mdantsane Township; South Africa.