ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of death worldwide. They were responsible for 40 million of the 57 million deaths recorded worldwide in 2016. In Cameroon, epidemiological studies have been devoted to NCDs and their risk factors. However, none provides specific information on their extent or the distribution of their risk factors within the Cameroonian defense forces. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to assess the cardiovascular risk of a Cameroonian military population compared with that of its neighboring civilian population. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study that involved subjects aged 18 to 58 years, recruited from October 2017 to November 2018 at the Fifth Military Sector Health Center in Ngaoundéré, Cameroon. Data collection and assessment were done according to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s STEPS manual for surveillance of risk factors for chronic NCDs and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Five cardiovascular risk factors were assessed: smoking, harmful alcohol consumption, obesity/overweight, hypertension, and diabetes. The risk was considered high in subjects with 3 or more of the factors. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were carried out according to their indications. RESULTS: Our study sample of 566 participants included 295 soldiers and 271 civilians of the same age group (median age 32 years versus 33 years, respectively; P=.57). The military sample consisted of 31 officers and 264 noncommissioned officers (NCOs). Soldiers were more exposed to behavioral risk factors than civilians, with a prevalence of smoking of 13.9% versus 4.4% (P<.001) and excessive alcohol consumption of 61.7% versus 14.8% (P<.001). They also presented with a higher cardiovascular risk than civilians (odds ratio 2.7, 95% CI 1.50-4.81; P<.001), and among the military participants, the cardiovascular risk was higher for officers than for NCOs (51.6% versus 14.0%, respectively; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cameroonian soldiers are particularly exposed to cardiovascular behavioral risk factors and consequently are at higher risk of NCDs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04315441; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04315441.
ABSTRACT
Objectif : L'objectif de cette etude etait d'evaluer la sante bucco-dentaire des diabetiques de type 2 Camerounais. Materiels et methode : Quarante et un (41) adultes; diabetiques de type 2 suivis au service d'endocrinologie de l'Hopital General de Douala ont beneficie d'un examen clinique endo buccal et ont fourni des informations relatives a leurs habitudes de vie et d'hygiene bucco-dentaire a travers un questionnaire. Les patients ont ete repartis en 2 groupes; les patients controles dont le taux d'HbA1c etait inferieur a 7; et les patients non controles dont le taux d'HbA1C etait superieur ou egal a 7. L'indice de plaque (IP); l'indice dents Cariees; Absentes ou Obturees (CAOD); et le Dutch Periodontal Screening Index (DPSI) ont ete utilises pour determiner le statut bucco-dentaire des patients. Resultats : L'age median de l'echantillon etait de 58 ans et le taux d'HbA1c median de l'echantillon etait de 8. L'IP median de l'echantillon etait de 0;58; le CAOD median etait de 1; et le DPSI median etait de 2. Les maladies parodontales et la carie etaient les seules pathologies rencontrees. Tous les patients souffraient d'une affection parodontale; pres de 87;80 souffraient de gingivite et 12;20 etaient atteints de parodontite. La prevalence de la Carie etait de 43;90. Aucune difference significative n'a ete observee entre les patients controles et non controles vis-a-vis des indices buccaux et les pathologies bucco-dentaires. Conclusion : Une attention particuliere devrait etre accordee a l'amelioration de la sante parodontale des diabetiques au Cameroun; d'autant plus qu'il est etabli que les soins parodontaux chez les diabetiques ameliorent l'equilibre glycemique
