Priscilla Duboz

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among adults 50 years and older in Dakar, Senegal

Background Older adults are disproportionately affected by hypertension, which is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Despite these facts, no study on the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control on arterial hypertension in Senegal has been conducted, specifically among elderly people. Methods Five hundred people aged 50 years and older, living in the city of Dakar were interviewed. This sample was constructed using the combined quota method in order to strive for representativeness of the target population. Results Prevalence of hypertension was 65.4% in our sample. Half of those suffering from high blood pressure were aware of their problem and among the latter, 70% said they were on treatment. However, of these, only 17% had controlled arterial blood pressure. The only factor associated with awareness, treatment and control of hypertension was the frequency of doctor visits. Conclusion Improving follow-up health checks of older adults are necessary to limit the consequences of hypertension in Dakar.

Hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment and control in Dakar (Senegal).

The prediction of risk profile trends associated with non-communicable diseases in developing countries is among the greatest global health challenges. The aim of this study is to estimate prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Dakar (Senegal). This study was carried out between January and June 2009 on a population sample of 600 individuals living in the department of Dakar. This sample was constructed using the quota method in order to strive for representativeness. Sociodemographic characteristics, hypertension, hypertension awareness, treatment and control, and body mass index of individuals were collected during face-to-face interviews. Statistical analyses used were χ2-tests and binary logistic regressions. Prevalence of hypertension was 27.50%. Prevalence of awareness, treatment and control among hypertensives were 27.88%, 16.97% and 5.45%, respectively. Logistic regression showed that the prevalence, awareness and treatment of hypertension increased with increasing age. Overweight and obese subjects were more often hypertensive but did not differ from others in awareness and treatment. This could be linked to the social valorization of stoutness in West Africa, which explains that excess weight is not perceived as a risk factor for hypertension. In conclusion, given the very low rates of awareness, treatment and control in our sample, developing strategies for averting a hypertension epidemic must be a priority objective.

Sociodemographic and attitudinal factors to blood donation in the urban population of Dakar, Senegal

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this analysis were 1) to compare the sociodemographic characteristics of donors and nondonors, 2) to describe the channels through which Dakars population is made aware of blood donation, and 3) to analyze the motivations and barriers to blood donation expressed by donors and nondonors.

Social representations of older adults [ magget ] in Dakar

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study in Dakar were twofold: to determine whether the representations of older adults are mainly positive, neutral or negative in the Senegalese capital; and to analyse the emic notions on which these age representations are based. As a first step in understanding how older adults are represented in this contemporary urban African context, a methodology was selected that is both quantitative and qualitative, including closed and open-ended questions to a representative cross-section of the Dakar population aged 20 years and over (N=600). The results indicate that representations of older adults, while heterogeneous, were mainly positive in Dakar: 63.7 per cent reported positive representations of older adults. Conversely, 17.5 per cent believed that older adults were perceived negatively. Lastly, 18.8 per cent reported that they did not perceive positive or negative social views of older adults. Representations of older adults were based on three principal notions: the value of advanced age, social usefulness of older adults and family ties. These results are discussed in the context of Dakar modernity, in comparison to Western modernity. Dakar society appears to depart from modernisation theory, as the experiential wisdom of older adults is still valued (mainly through the importance of oral tradition) and the extended family is upheld (given the permanent economic crisis the country is experiencing).

The One Health Concept: 10 Years Old and a Long Road Ahead

Over the past decade, a significant increase in the circulation of infectious agents was observed. With the spread and emergence of epizootics, zoonoses, and epidemics, the risks of pandemics became more and more critical. Human and animal health has also been threatened by antimicrobial resistance, environmental pollution, and the development of multifactorial and chronic diseases. This highlighted the increasing globalization of health risks and the importance of the human–animal–ecosystem interface in the evolution and emergence of pathogens. A better knowledge of causes and consequences of certain human activities, lifestyles, and behaviors in ecosystems is crucial for a rigorous interpretation of disease dynamics and to drive public policies. As a global good, health security must be understood on a global scale and from a global and crosscutting perspective, integrating human health, animal health, plant health, ecosystems health, and biodiversity. In this study, we discuss how crucial it is to consider ecological, evolutionary, and environmental sciences in understanding the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases and in facing the challenges of antimicrobial resistance. We also discuss the application of the “One Health” concept to non-communicable chronic diseases linked to exposure to multiple stresses, including toxic stress, and new lifestyles. Finally, we draw up a list of barriers that need removing and the ambitions that we must nurture for the effective application of the “One Health” concept. We conclude that the success of this One Health concept now requires breaking down the interdisciplinary barriers that still separate human and veterinary medicine from ecological, evolutionary, and environmental sciences. The development of integrative approaches should be promoted by linking the study of factors underlying stress responses to their consequences on ecosystem functioning and evolution. This knowledge is required for the development of novel control strategies inspired by environmental mechanisms leading to desired equilibrium and dynamics in healthy ecosystems and must provide in the near future a framework for more integrated operational initiatives.

Hypertension and Obesity in Dakar, Senegal

Background Cardiovascular disease is a major public health problem in many sub-Saharan African countries, but data on the main cardiovascular risk factors–hypertension and obesity–are almost nonexistent in Senegal. The aims of this study were therefore (i) to report the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among adults in Dakar, (ii) to assess the prevalence of general and central obesity, and (iii) to analyze the association between hypertension and general and central obesity. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2015 on a representative sample of 1000 dwellers of the Senegalese capital aged 20–90. Results The overall prevalence of hypertension was 24.7%. Among hypertensive respondents, 28.4% were aware of their condition; 16.0% were on antihypertensive medication; 4.9% had controlled blood pressure. The frequency of doctor visits was a significant predictor of awareness (OR = 2.16; p<0.05) and treatment (OR = 2.57; p<0.05) of hypertension. The prevalence of underweight, overweight and general obesity were 12.6%, 19.2% and 9.7% respectively. The prevalence of central obesity was 26% by WC and 39.8% by WHtR. General obesity and central obesity by WHtR significantly predicted HTN among men and women, but not central obesity by WC. Conclusions This study has demonstrated a high prevalence of hypertension in Dakar and a high prevalence of obesity among women–particularly among older women. The awareness, treatment, and effective control of hypertension are unacceptably low. The blood pressure of women with general obesity, and men with central obesity, in the community should be monitored regularly to limit the burden of cardiovascular disease in Senegal.

Self-rated health in Senegal: A comparison between urban and rural areas

Introduction Although the relationship between mortality and self-rated health has been demonstrated in sub-Saharan Africa, information in this area is rudimentary. In Senegal, no study has been undertaken comparing self-rated health between urban and rural areas. The objective of this study is therefore to compare self-rated health and its main predictors in Dakar and in a rural isolated area, Tessekere municipality, taking into account socio-demographic and economic factors, social relations, as well as measures of physical and mental health. Material and methods This study was carried out in 2015 on a population sample of 1000 individuals living in Dakar and 500 individuals living in the municipality of Tessekere, constructed using the quota method. Self-rated health, health variables, psychosocial, sociodemographic and economic characteristics were collected during face-to-face interviews. Statistical analyses used were Chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions. Results Results show that self-rated health in Senegalese urban area (Dakar) is better than in rural area (Tessekere), but the determinants of self-rated health partly differ between these two environments. Age and gender play a fundamental role in self-rated health as much in Dakar as in Tessekere but diabetes and social support play a role in self-rated health only in urban environment, whereas economic well-being is associated to self-rated health only in rural area. Conclusion The analyses carried out in these two environments show that despite the existence of common determinants (age, gender, stress), the determinants for formulating an answer to the question of self-rated health differ. People’s social and cultural environments thus play a fundamental role in the process of rating one’s health and, in the short and long term, in the mortality rate.

Prevalence of obesity and body size perceptions in urban and rural Senegal: new insight on the epidemiological transition in West Africa

Summary Background: The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of obesity in Dakar and in Tessekere, a rural municipality in northern Senegal, and to compare ideal body size between these populations. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2015 on a representative sample of 1 000 adults, aged 20 years and older in Dakar, and 500 adults of the same age in Tessekere. Results: The prevalence of obesity and overweight was higher in Dakar than in Tessekere. However, overweight and obesity rates of young women living in this rural area were close to those of young women in Dakar. At a body mass index of 27.5 kg/m², less than 40% of the men in Dakar and Tessekere found themselves too fat, compared to 50% of urban women and 30% of rural women. Conclusion: This study explains how and why obesity is becoming a rural health problem in Senegal.

L’hypertension artérielle à Dakar : prévalence, connaissance, traitement et contrôle

The aim of this study was to determine prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, and its risk factors in Dakar. Six hundred people aged 20 and older, living in the city of Dakar were interviewed. This sample was constructed using the combined quota method in order to strive to representativeness of the target population. Prevalence of hypertension was 27.50%. Quarter of those suffering from high blood pressure were aware of their problem, and among the latter, 61% said they were on treatment. However, of these, only 32% had controlled arterial blood pressure, that is less than 6% of those suffering from hypertension. Two factors were associated with hypertension, awareness, and treatment: age and the frequency of doctor visits. These results indicate that hypertension already constitutes a major health concern in the Senegalese capital. Detection can be considerably improved given that only a quarter of the hypertensives are aware of this problem. Compliance with treatments also appears particularly problematic. Public health policies should be quickly set up to minimize the consequences of this emerging burden.

Migrations internes et santé à Dakar (Sénégal). Comparaison de l’autoévaluation de la santé, de l’hypertension artérielle et de l’obésité des migrants internes et des personnes originaires de Dakar

RésuméL’objectif de cet article est de comparer les prévalences d’hypertension et d’obésité ainsi que l’autoévaluation de la santé des migrants internes et des populations originaires de Dakar en tenant compte de la durée de résidence et de l’insertion socio-économique des migrants. L’échantillon de population, représentatif de la population du département de Dakar, comprend 600 individus. Les caractéristiques sociodémographiques, le statut de migrant, la durée de résidence à Dakar, l’autoévaluation de la santé, l’hypertension artérielle (HTA), le poids et la taille des individus ont été recueillis. Les analyses statistiques utilisées sont des tests du Chi2 et des régressions logistiques binaires. Les résultats obtenus montrent que le statut de migrant n’est pas lié aux variables utilisées lors de cette étude afin d’évaluer l’état de santé des individus. Par contre, toutes choses égales par ailleurs, la durée de résidence à Dakar l’est: les personnes originaires des villes secondaires et du milieu rural, ont significativement moins de risques d’être affectées d’HTA et d’être obèses lorsqu’elles vivent à Dakar depuis moins de dix ans. Contrairement au statut migratoire, la durée d’exposition à l’environnement urbain et les changements de mode de vie qui y sont associés déterminent l’apparition de l’HTA et de l’obésité. Par contre, ils ne conditionnent pas l’autoévaluation de la santé, connue pour être corrélée à l’état de santé réel des individus.AbstractThe aim of this article is to compare self-rated health and the prevalence of hypertension and obesity between internal migrants and native inhabitants of Dakar, taking into account the length of residence and socioeconomic condition of Dakar’s migrants. Data from a 2009 survey of 600 individuals, representative of the population of Dakar, were used to analyze links between migrations and health. Sociodemographic characteristics, migrant’s status, length of residence in Dakar, self-rated health, hypertension, weight and waist size of individuals have been collected during face-to-face interviews. Statistical analyses consisted in Chi square tests and binary logistic regressions. Concerning internal migrations and health, results show that the migration status is not linked to the variables used in this study to evaluate individuals’ health status. However, in adjusted analysis, the length of residence in Dakar is linked to health variables: people coming from secondary towns and rural areas have significantly less risks to develop hypertension or to be obese when they live in Dakar since less than 10 years. The length of exposure to urban environment and associated changes in lifestyle seem to be the determinants of the appearance of hypertension and obesity, contrary to migration status. However, this length of residence is not linked to self-rated health, that is known to be correlated to the real health state of individuals.