RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among adults in Vihiga County, Western Kenya. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study was completed. Participants (n = 575) were selected at the household level using a systematic random sample, and sociodemographic, anthropometrical, clinical, and biochemical data were collected. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 71.8% women and 28.2% men. The prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) was 56.4%. A greater proportion of women (62.8%) had low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) compared with men (44.7%) (odds ratio [OR], 2.99; 95% CI, 1.59-5.64). High triglyceride levels were more prevalent in men (16.4%) compared with women (15.4%) (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.19-0.71). Based on average waist to hip ratio, abdominal obesity was significantly higher in women (55.4%) compared with men (27.6%) (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.52-4.49). Low levels of physical inactivity were prevalent in women (36.3%) at significantly higher proportions compared with men (22.7%) (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.02-2.92). Women used tobacco at significantly lower proportions (0.5%) compared with men (27.2%) (OR, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.00-0.06). A higher proportion of women (47.9%) rated their general health as poor compared with men (37.1%), a statistically significant difference (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.23-3.28). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CVD risk factors, such as hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, low physical activity, and tobacco use indicates the urgent need for comprehensive health promotion programs to improve public health in rural areas of Kenya.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Partnership building and understanding of context that addresses global health concerns is essential in global health research. However, limited knowledge is available on the practical experiences of building such relationships. OBJECTIVES: To provide a detailed description of the processes involved in establishing international collaboration, gain community involvement and cooperation with gatekeepers, and study populations of rural village areas in Western Kenya. RESULTS: Due to the limited information available in the published literature about the extremely important practical considerations, our experiences on the logistical aspects of planning and implementing global health research projects are presented. CONCLUSION: Understanding the local collaborators and their communities and allocating adequate resources in time and money during the planning phase is paramount in ensuring the successful completion of global health research studies.
