| dc.description.abstract | Background:
Non-communicable diseases are a public health problem with cardiovascular diseases leading. At community level it is not yet clear how people prevent CVD’s. There is paucity of data documented on CVD prevention practices at community level. This study set out to assess the prevention of risk factors to cardiovascular diseases among the communities of Wakiso District, so as to generate information necessary for formulation of National Policy on the management of CVD’s.
Methods:
This was a community-based descriptive cross-sectional study undertaken among 13 selected sub-counties of Wakiso district within the month of November 2014.Quantitative data was obtained from 368 respondents and qualitative data obtained from 12 Key informants. Simple Random Sampling and proportionate sampling were used to select respondents. Interviewer-administered questionnaires and key informant interviews were used as research instruments. Data was processed and analysed using SPSS and only significant factors in bivariate analysis were considered for logistic regression (multivariate analysis).
Results:
The study found that only 113 out of 368 (30.7%)practiced the risk factor prevention measures for cardiovascular diseases which is low and puts the population at a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Using the Binary Logistics regression model to analyse preventive risk factors of CVDs, the following variables were found to be significant; being single (OR 1.572, 95% CI .332-7.448), married (OR 1.686, 95% CI .395-7.192), primary education level (OR 1.767, 95% CI .569-5.487), vigorous physical activity (OR 1.770, 95% CI .572-5.476), moderate physical activity (OR 1.756 .979-3.151), community awareness program(OR 1.657 CI .589-4.658), presence of community-based screening services (OR 1.741 .264-11.489).
Conclusions:
The study concluded that the low level of prevention could be attributed to lack of prioritisation to prevention of Cardiovascular diseases. The education levels have a great impact on prevention of CVDs, the higher the level of education the higher the practice of preventing cardiovascular diseases. Physical activity is a big factor in regards to prevention of cardiovascular practices. The presence of CVD awareness campaigns and community-based screening programs within the communities contributes greatly to the practice of preventing cardiovascular diseases which according to this study were reported to be very few.
Recommendations:
Appropriate intervention measures on prevention practices should be instituted to raise the low CVD prevention levels gradually from 30.7% to atleast 60% within a specified period. Lifestyle counseling should be a major component of the intervention package where people will be counseled to practice physical activity, make right food choices, abstain from smoking and no alcohol abuse. Communities are encouraged to go to hospitals for CVD metabolic risk factor screening atleast every 6months for those at a high risk, that is those with family history of CVDs, advanced age (40years and above) and every 12months for the rest of the people. MOH should prioritize the prevention of cardiovascular diseases by allocating funding for setting up CVD risk factor Awareness campaigns and community-based screening programs. A specific policy on CVDs prevention should be developed and distributed through up to community level. | en_US |
