(P02-102-25) Prevalence of Modifiable Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases Among Young Adults at a Ghanaian University

Objectives: This study sought to determine the prevalence of some modifiable risk factors among 138 students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), which aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4.

Methods: Body composition parameters, such as metabolic age, skeletal muscle mass, percentage body fat, visceral fat, weight and body mass index (BMI) were measured using the Omron full body sensor (BIA), whiles participants' heights were measured using a Seca stadiometer. Blood pressure measurements were also taken using a blood pressure monitor, whiles Fasting blood sugar (FBS) and Total Cholesterol (TC) were measured using Accu-Answer Multi Monitoring Meter. The data was analyzed using SPSS (version 20.0). The frequency of risk of CVD was calculated using frequency distributions. For continuous variables, means and standard deviations were calculated. Chi-square analysis was done for categorical variables, whiles regression analyses was used to test for the association between CVD risk factors and gender.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.17 ± 1.847 years, while the mean metabolic age was 26.73 ± 11.18. The mean levels of fasting blood sugar and total cholesterol was 5.60 ± 0.71 mmol/L and 6.55 ± 1.72 mmol/L respectively. A proportion of the participants had systolic (25.5%) and diastolic (21.7%) blood pressures, whiles 37.0% had blood pressure above the normal recommended ranges. Furthermore, 39.1% of the participants had high/very high body fat, 19.6% had a moderate/high-risk waist-hip ratio, and 26.8% were classified as obese/overweight. The prevalence rate of CVD risk factors was high among the study participants, with elevated fasting blood sugar (41.3%), borderline high cholesterol levels (35.5%), and high cholesterol risk (47.8%). Moreover, the study participants exhibited additional risk factors, including hypertension (13.8%), stress (84.1%), obesity (7.2%) and physical inactivity (44.2%).

Conclusions: The occurrence of CVD risk factors such as elevated fasting blood sugar, borderline high cholesterol levels and high cholesterol risk was prevalent among the study participants. Furthermore, they exhibited additional risk factors such as stress, obesity and physical inactivity. Therefore nutritional interventions should be targeted at such populations.

Funding Sources: This study was self-funded.