Assessing the Prevalence of Hypertension and Obesity among Diabetics in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

Aims: The study assessed the prevalence of hypertension and obesity and their associated risk factors among diabetics in the Tamale Metropolis.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Diabetic Clinics of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale West Hospital and the Tamale Central Hospital, Ghana, between January to June 2016.

Methodology: A self-designed structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic information, medical and family history of 122 Type II diabetic patients. Anthropometric measurements were determined using standard protocols. Data from the participants at the diabetic centers of the various hospitals were evaluated regarding their association with the outcome variables: general obesity, abdominal obesity and hypertension using logistic regressions. The odds ratio and its 95% confidence interval for the univariate and multivariate models were reported with the level of significance set at 5%.

Results: Seventy-two out of the one-hundred-twenty-two (59%) participants were female with 41% (50/122) being male. The mean age of the participants was 51.9±14.5 years. The prevalence of general obesity, abdominal obesity and hypertension was 19.7%, 49.2% and 55.7% respectively, In a univariate logistic regression analysis, occupational status (OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1-0.9, P =.036) was associated with general obesity; being female (OR = 10.8, 95% CI = 4.5-26.1, P <.001), smoking (OR = 0.1, 95% CI = 0.01-0.5, P =.010) and drinking of alcohol (OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1-0.8, P =.020) were significant factors for abdominal obesity. Variables associated with hypertension were: age (≤50 years) (OR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.7-7.9, P <0.001), high educational level (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0-4.6, P =.047) and smoking (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.1-12.4, P =.037). Upon adjusting for age in a multivariate logistic regression being female, smoking and drinking of alcohol were still significantly associated with abdominal obesity

Conclusion: This study highlights the increased prevalence of obesity and hypertension among Type II diabetics. Employed participants were less likely to be generally obese but this is modifiable by age. Smoking and alcohol drinking remained negatively associated with abdominal obesity in the multivariate model, while female sex remained positively associated. Smoking remained as a marginally significant variable regarding the development of hypertension but this is largely modified by age.