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Adolescent health in rural Ghana
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, PLoS ONE, Vol 12, Iss 7, p e0180436 (2017)
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Freie Universität Berlin, 2017.
-
Abstract
- In sub-Saharan Africa, infectious diseases and malnutrition constitute the main health problems in children, while adolescents and adults are increasingly facing cardio-metabolic conditions. Among adolescents as the largest population group in this region, we investigated the co-occurrence of infectious diseases, malnutrition and cardio-metabolic risk factors (CRFs), and evaluated demographic, socio-economic and medical risk factors for these entities. In a cross-sectional study among 188 adolescents in rural Ghana, malarial infection, common infectious diseases and Body Mass Index were assessed. We measured ferritin, C-reactive protein, retinol, fasting glucose and blood pressure. Socio-demographic data were documented. We analyzed the proportions (95% confidence interval, CI) and the co-occurrence of infectious diseases (malaria, other common diseases), malnutrition (underweight, stunting, iron deficiency, vitamin A deficiency [VAD]), and CRFs (overweight, obesity, impaired fasting glucose, hypertension). In logistic regression, odds ratios (OR) and 95% CIs were calculated for the associations with socio- demographic factors. In this Ghanaian population (age range, 14.4–15.5 years; males, 50%), the proportions were for infectious diseases 45% (95% CI: 38–52%), for malnutrition 50% (43–57%) and for CRFs 16% (11–21%). Infectious diseases and malnutrition frequently co-existed (28%; 21–34%). Specifically, VAD increased the odds of non-malarial infectious diseases 3-fold (95% CI: 1.03, 10.19). Overlap of CRFs with infectious diseases (6%; 2–9%) or with malnutrition (7%; 3–11%) was also present. Male gender and low socio-economic status increased the odds of infectious diseases and malnutrition, respectively. Malarial infection, chronic malnutrition and VAD remain the predominant health problems among these Ghanaian adolescents. Investigating the relationships with evolving CRFs is warranted.
- Subjects :
- Blood Glucose
Male
Rural Population
Adolescent
Adolescent Health
lcsh:Medicine
Organic chemistry
Blood Pressure
Comorbidity
600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Adolescents
Vascular Medicine
Communicable Diseases
Ghana
Body Mass Index
Chemical compounds
Sex Factors
Risk Factors
Organic compounds
Medicine and Health Sciences
Parasitic Diseases
Prevalence
Humans
lcsh:Science
Vitamin A
Nutrition
lcsh:R
Malnutrition
Nutritional Deficiencies
Biology and Life Sciences
Vitamins
Overweight
Tropical Diseases
Malaria
Physical sciences
Chemistry
Infectious Diseases
Cross-Sectional Studies
Socioeconomic Factors
Age Groups
Micronutrient Deficiencies
People and Places
Hypertension
Iron Deficiency
lcsh:Q
Population Groupings
Female
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE, PLoS ONE, Vol 12, Iss 7, p e0180436 (2017)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....50193c32916e0912cb9ff7c2fba79fae