Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a major cause of morbidity and a leading contributor to mortality worldwide and it is becoming an epidemic in Africa. Most of the CVD risk factors are lifestyle and modifiable risk factors which starts in childhood and adolescence and tracks on to adulthood, However, the paucity of information on adolescents’ cardiovascular health is a barrier to effective implementation of CVD prevention program in less developed countries and particularly in the rural areas.

Aim

The study aimed at investigating the prevalence, multiplicity and clustering of CVD risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, unhealthy dietary pattern, obesity, abdominal obesity, hypertension and presence of CVD indicators such as angina, breathlessness, chest pain and family history of CVD among rural adolescents in South West Nigeria.

Methododology

Ethical approval was obtained prior to commencement of the study. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from Local Educational Authority and Principals of schools. Informed consent from parents, proxy consent from principals and assents from adolescents were obtained. The study was a cross sectional study of 1079 adolescents aged 15-18 years. Lifestyle CVD risk factors was assessed using a questionnaire developed for monitoring heart health by Odunaiya et al and other modifiable risk factors were assessed using standard objective measures

Results

Result shows that 45.5% of the adolescents had CVD indicators and family history of heart disease.7.1% had smoking intention. There is no established smoker, 10.2% are harzardous drinkers, 27.9% had low physical activity, 36.5% have moderate activity level and 35.6% had high activity level, 59.8 on high cholesterol diet, 6.1% on low vegetable consumption, 8.1 on low fruit consumption,65% had a high salt intake, 61.3% preferred their food fried or roasted. Other modifiable CVD risk factors such BMI shows underweight is 23.5% among adolescents and overweight and obesity is 1.4%.

Conclusion

There is high prevalence and clustering of modifiable CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in Nigeria.

Implication

This calls for CVD prevention program at grass root level.