Behavioral Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases in Three Most Populous Nigerian Urban Slums

Abstract

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rapidly emerging public health challenges to urban populations in developing countries. The Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys of 1990 and 2003 portrayed a worrisome picture of the risk factors for NCDs in the country, and despite this, there is still paucity of current and reliable data on the burden of these risk factors to guide state and national control programs. This study aimed at understanding the prevalence of major common NCD risk factors and their distribution pattern in three most populous urban poor communities in Lagos, south-west Nigeria. 

Methods: A study on the behavioral risk factors for NCDs was carried out between June 2010 and October 2012 using Step 1 of the WHO STEPwise approach. It was a cross-sectional quantitative survey that made use of a semi-structured questionnaire containing both open-ended and close-ended questions. The study included 2,434 subjects, 18 years and older, and residing in the three selected slums. 

Results: The prevalence of behavioral risk factors reflected the interplay of underlying socio-economic driving forces such as low education attainment where 372 (15.9%) people had no formal education, 71 were unemployed (3%), and 595 were on low incomes (25.3%). Poor consumption of fruits and vegetables, high consumption of fat and alcohol, low levels of physical activity, active smoking, and illicit drug use were observed. 

Conclusions: The socio-demographic characteristics of the inhabitants of the urban poor communities make them vulnerable to known major risk factors for NCDs, given that the communities also had low level of educational attainment and low socio-economic status.