Objective: To provide the current burden of high blood pressure and
related risk factors in urban setting in Cameroon. Methods:We used the
WHO STEPS approach for Surveillance of non-communicable ...diseases and
their risk factors to collect data from 2,559 adults aged 15-99 years,
residing at Cite des Palmiers in Douala, Cameroon. Results: The level
of education was low with up to 60% of participants totalizing less
than primary school. Smoking habits were 6 times more frequent in men
(p<0.001) and 85% of participants reported alcohol consumption.
Sedentary lifestyles at work and at leisure time were prevalent.Women
displayed high prevalence of obesity in general.The mean blood pressure
and the prevalence of hypertension increased with age in men and
women.The prevalence of hypertension was 20.8%, and the risk of
hypertension significantly increased with clustering of risk factors in
the general population (p=0.001) and in men (p=0.008). Conclusions:
This study provides additional evidence on the growing problem of
hypertension and related risk factors in urban Cameroon; and confirms
the feasibility of using the WHO STEPS approach for the surveillance of
NCDs in Africa. There is a need for rapid implementation of preventive
strategies in the country.
In the ongoing debate about front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labels, little data exist regarding nutritionally at-risk populations, although they are critical targets of prevention programs. This ...study aimed to compare the impact of FOP labels on the ability to rank products according to their nutritional quality among French adults potentially at risk of poor dietary quality (N = 14,230). Four labels were evaluated: Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA), Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL), 5-Color Nutrition Label (5-CNL), Green Tick (Tick), along with a reference without label. Mixed models were used to assess how individual characteristics and FOP labels were associated with the ability to rank products. Older participants and those with a lower educational level, income, nutritional knowledge, and likelihood of reading nutrition facts were less skilled at ranking food products according to nutritional quality. Compared with individual characteristics, nutrition labels had an increased impact on food product ranking ability. Overall, 5-CNL corresponded to the highest rate of correct responses, followed by MTL, GDA, and Tick (p < 0.0001). The strongest impact of 5-CNL was observed among individuals with no nutritional knowledge (odds ratio (OR): 20.24; 95% confidence interval (CI): 13.19-31.06). Therefore, 5-CNL appeared to be effective at informing consumers, including those who are nutritionally at-risk, about the nutritional quality of food products.
In the ongoing debate about front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labels, little data exist regarding nutritionally at-risk populations, although they are critical targets of prevention programs. This ...study aimed to compare the impact of FOP labels on the ability to rank products according to their nutritional quality among French adults potentially at risk of poor dietary quality (N = 14,230). Four labels were evaluated: Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA), Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL), 5-Color Nutrition Label (5-CNL), Green Tick (Tick), along with a reference without label. Mixed models were used to assess how individual characteristics and FOP labels were associated with the ability to rank products. Older participants and those with a lower educational level, income, nutritional knowledge, and likelihood of reading nutrition facts were less skilled at ranking food products according to nutritional quality. Compared with individual characteristics, nutrition labels had an increased impact on food product ranking ability. Overall, 5-CNL corresponded to the highest rate of correct responses, followed by MTL, GDA, and Tick (p < 0.0001). The strongest impact of 5-CNL was observed among individuals with no nutritional knowledge (odds ratio (OR): 20.24; 95% confidence interval (CI): 13.19-31.06). Therefore, 5-CNL appeared to be effective at informing consumers, including those who are nutritionally at-risk, about the nutritional quality of food products.
Background To assess the pattern of metabolic profile associated with first stroke episode in a hospital setting in Cameroon. Methods All patients admitted for first-ever-in-lifetime stroke over a ...6-month period were eligible for inclusion in the study. The 84% participation rate yielded 57 of 68 patients between 16 and 85 years of age. Fifty-seven control subjects were selected to match patients included for age range, sex, and known hypertension and diabetes. We measured fasting serum glucose, insulin, and lipids in controls and in patients between days 3 and 7 after admission. Results Total cholesterol was comparable in patients and controls (172.6 ± 39.5 v 175.4 ± 49.7 mg/dL; P = .75), as were triglycerides (129.4 ± 56.1 v 122.4 ± 60.7 mg/dL; P = .53). high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were lower in patients than in controls (37.4 ± 20.6 v 50.2 ± 18.0 mg/dL; P = .001), with comparable levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; 109.4 ± 43.0 v 100.7 ± 48.8 mg/dL; P = .32). The LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was higher in patients compared to controls (4.0 ± 3.0 v 2.3 ± 1.7; P = .0001), as was the total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio (5.9 ± 3.5 v 3.9 ± 1.8; P = .0001). Compared to controls, stroke patients had higher fasting insulin levels (5.9 ± 5.4 v 2.3 ± 3.2 IU/mL; P < .001) and higher insulin resistance as measured by the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (1.9 ± 2.2 v 0.7 ± 1.0; P = .001). Conclusions Stroke is associated with markers of insulin resistance, low serum levels of HDL, and high total cholesterol/HDL ratio in this African population. Studies with a larger sample size and cohort designs are warranted to explore the causal pathways, persistence of these abnormalities, and population-specific cut points.
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