Physical activity pattern and its association with glycaemic and blood pressure control among people living with diabetes (PLWD) in the Ho Municipality, Ghana

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) offers considerable health benefits for diabetic patients. However, extensive high levels of inactivity has been reported among diabetic patients. This study sought to assess the patterns of physical activity and its relationship with two management-relevant outcomes (glycaemic and blood pressure control)among people living with diabetes in the Ho Municipality, Ghana. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out from January 2017 to April 2017 among 150 purposively recruited diabetic patients who were receiving care at the diabetes clinics of the Volta Regional Hospital and the Ho Municipal Hospital. A semi structured questionnaire was used in capturing socio-demographic information. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form. Glycaemic and blood pressure control were evaluated within a three-month period from patients' records. RESULTS: Physical activity estimates among participants were 21.33%, 48% and 30.67% for high, moderate and low PA respectively. Glycaemic control among the study participants was 33.33% and blood pressure control was 58.67%. Both glycaemic and blood pressure control were significantly associated with PA. CONCLUSION:In this group of PLWD in the Ho Municipality, high levels of inactivity, uncontrolled glycaemia and blood pressure exist. However, glycaemic and blood pressure control may be modulated by moderate-intensity physical activity

Analysis of Atherogenic and Anthropometric Profiles of Normotensive and Hypertensive Ghanaians in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Ghana is undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition from solely communicable to a double burden of infectious and chronic disease such as hypertension. Aims: We aimed to compare the association between different lifestyle practices, adiposity indices, atherogenic dyslipidaemic parameters and hypertension as well as the prognostic implications for the levels of these parameters on target cardiac organ damage among hypertensives. We also determined the optimal threshold points and the discriminative power of these parameters on this urban Ghanaian hypertensive population. Study Design: A hospital-based case–control study was conducted. Methodology: The study purposively recruited 241 Ghanaian indigenes in the Kumasi metropolis, with 180 hypertensives as cases and 61 normotensives as controls. In addition to sociodemographic data captured, all participants underwent standard haemodynamic, anthropometric, atherogenic lipid and cardiac organ damage assessment. Results: In general, the case group presented with a significantly poorer atherogenic lipid profile compared to their counterparts in the control group. Participants presenting with significantly higher multiple atherogenic scores were found to cluster at the upper quartiles of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate. Population-specific threshold for waist circumference of >75 cm for females and >80 cm for male were the best adiposity indices for discriminating hypertension. Increasing atherogenic dyslipidaemia was more prevalent with the presence of cardiac target organ damage. Conclusion: In this urban population, higher altered lipid scores and abdominal obesity aggravated by lifestyle choices including alcohol consumption, smoking and physical inactivity may constitute significant risk for cardiovascular complications among hypertensives.