Prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors in Eritrea

Objective: To establish the baseline prevalence rates for non-communicable disease risk factors in Eritrea. Study Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among all the ethnic groups in Eritrea with the WHO STEPwise approach. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure <= 140/90 mm Hg or a person on medication for hypertension, while diabetes based on medical history of the disease. Of the targeted sample size of 2460, 2352 responded. Respondents were distributed among the six regions of the country proportional to population size. A multistage cluster sampling technique was used. Males and females from 15 to 64 years of age were studied. Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence rates of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and low vegetable and low fruit consumption. Results: Prevalence rate of daily smoking of 7.2% with variations among age, sex, religion and regions. A high prevalence of low fruit and low vegetable intake was observed at 84.7% and 50.6% respectively. Alcohol drinking was 39.6%. Level of physical activity was high (90%). The prevalence of obesity was low at 3.3%. The prevalence of hypertension in the general population was 16%, while 2.2% were known diabetic patients. More than 80% of the hypertensive persons were not aware of their condition. No significant rural/urban or sex difference was seen in hypertension prevalence. Conclusion: The baseline data are useful for developing interventions designed to prevent and control NCDs in Eritrea.