CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Vol 24, No 1, January/February 2013
120
AFRICA
Therapy most commonly included cognitive restructuring (94%),
supportive listening (90%), and/or training in skills for relaxation
(56%) or communication (46%). Of 36 patients who have thus
far completed the recommended course of psychotherapy, 35 had
reduced or absent psychological concerns at the end of treatment.
Conclusions:
The majority of patients referred to a specialisedACHD
psychology service have significant mood and/or anxiety problems;
over 70% present with health/heart-focused anxiety. Therefore,
ACHD programmes are encouraged to integrate specialised ACHD
psychological services in order to most effectively address patient
needs. Reduced psychological distress can be achieved among
ACHD patients who receive appropriate psychological intervention.
720: BODY MASS INDEX, PREVALENCEAND PREDICTORS
OF OBESITY IN URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IN
ABIA STATE, SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA
Okechukwu Ogah
1
, Chukwuonye Ijezie
2
, Okechukwu Madukwe
1
,
Ugochukwu Onyeonoro
3
, Ikechi Okpechi
4
, Ayodele Falase
5
, Simon
Stewart
6
, Karen Sliwa
7
1
Ministry of Health, Nnamdi Azikiwe Secretariat, Umuahia, Abia
State, Nigeria
2
Division of Renal Medicine (Nephrology), Department of Medicine,
Federal Medical Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
3
Department of Community Medicine, Federal Medical Centre,
Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
4
Division of Hypertension and Nephrology, Department of Medicine,
University College of iBadan, Nigeria
5
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine,
University College of iBadan, Nigeria
6
Preventative Health, Baker IDI, Heart and Diabetes Institute,
Melbourne, Australia
7
Hatter Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Cape Town,
Cape Town, South Africa
Background/hypothesis:
Obesity is assuming an epidemic dimen-
sion globally. Currently more than 1 billion adults are overweight,
and at least 300 million of them are clinically obese. There is no
previous study on the prevalence and predictors of obesity in Abia
State, South Eastern Nigeria, necessitating this study.
Methods:
The study was a cross-sectional study aimed at ascertaining
the prevalence and predictors of obesity in the state. Participations in
the study were recruited from the three senatorial zones in the state.
In each of the zones an urban and rural community were randomly
selected. Screening for obesity was carried out in these patients using
the body mass index (BMI).
Results:
Fifty-three (2.1%) of the participants were underweight
while 1 456 (57.4% had normal weight. Furthermore 706 (28.2%)
of the participants were overweight, while 313 (12.3%) were obese.
Two hundred and seventeen (8.6%) of the participants fell into class
1 obesity, 66 (2.6%) into class 2 obesity, while 30 (1.2%) had class
3 obesity.
Of the obese patients, 180 (57.5%) were urban dwellers, while 133
(42.4%) were rural dwellers. These male to female and urban to rural
differences in prevalence of obesity were statistically significant.
In a multiple logistic regression analysis in which variables that
were significant in the univariate analysis were entered into a model,
two variables appear to independently predict obesity in our popula-
tion. These were gender (odds ratio (OR)
=
2.83, 95% confidence
interval (CI) 2.150-3.717),
p
≤
0.001, and income (OR
=
1.51, 95%
CI, 1.154-1.979,
p
=
0.003).
Conclusion:
The prevalence of obesity and overweight in the state
is significantly high, and there is a need for interventions to halt this
trend.
722: PREVALENCE AND DETERMINANTS OF HYPERTEN-
SION INABIA STATE NIGERIA: RESULTS FROMTHEABIA
STATE NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND CARDIO-
VASCULAR RISK FACTORS SURVEY
Okechukwu Ogah
1
, Chukwuonye Ijezie
2
, Okechukwu Madukwe
1
,
Ugochukwu Onyeonoro
3
, Ikechi Okpechi
4
, Ayodele Falase
5
, Simon
Stewart
6
, Karen Sliwa
7
1
Ministry of Health, Nnamdi Azikiwe Secretariat, Umuahia, Abia
State, Nigeria
2
Division of Renal Medicine (Nephrology), Department of Medicine,
Federal Medical Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
3
Department of Community Medicine, Federal Medical Centre,
Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
4
Division of Hypertension and Nephrology, Department of Medicine,
University College of iBadan, Nigeria
5
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine,
University College of iBadan, Nigeria
6
Preventative Health, Baker IDI, Heart and Diabetes Institute,
Melbourne, Australia
7
Hatter Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Cape Town,
Cape Town, South Africa
Background/hypothesis:
Hypertension is the commonest non-
communicable disease in sub-Saharan Africa. In Abia State, Nigeria,
no previous study has been carried out on the prevalence and corre-
lates of hypertension among the populace. The purpose of this study
is therefore to determine the prevalence and determinants of high
blood pressure in Abia State, South Eastern Nigeria.
Methods:
The study was a community based cross-sectional house-
to-house survey conducted in rural and urban communities in the
state. Participants in the study were men and women aged 15 years
and above and were recruited from the three senatorial zones in the
state.
Results:
A total of 2 983 consented to be interviewed. There were 1
430 men (47.9%); the mean age of the population was 41.7
±
18.5
years (range 18–96 years). Women had significantly higher BMI than
the men. Similarly waist circumference was also larger in women
but waist-to-hip ratio was only significantly higher in women in the
urban area. Thirty-one per cent of all the subjects had systolic hyper-
tension (33.5% of men and 30.5% of women). This gender difference
was statistically different in the urban area. Diastolic hypertension
was 22.5% in all the population (23.4% in men and 25.4% in women.
Age and indices of obesity were the strongest predictors of blood
pressure.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of hypertension was high in our study,
in both rural and urban settings. The major determinants of blood
pressure in our subjects included age, gender, indices of obesity and
pulse rate.
824: RIGHT VENTRICLE IN CONGENITAL HEART
DEFECTS WITH SEVERE PULMONARY HYPERTENSION:
ANATOMIC AND HAEMODYNAMIC CONSIDERATIONS
Monika Kaldararova
1
, Jozef Pacak
2
, Peter Tittel
1
, Jozef Masura
1
, Iveta
Simkova
2
1
National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Children’s Cardiac
Center, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2
Slovak Medical University and National Institute of Cardiovascular
Diseases, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Background:
Right ventricular (RV) adaptation mechanisms to
chronic pressure and/or volume overload are hypertrophy, dilatation
and decreased function. Compared to other causes, in patients with
severe pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital
heart defects (PAH-CHD) long well-preserved RV function is typical.
The aim of the study was to evaluate specific RV features in these
patients and in different subtypes of PAH-CHD.
Patients and methods:
A total of 56 patients (40F/16M, median age
32 years) with PAH-CHD were analysed: 41 (73.2%) post-tricuspid
defects (Post-TD), 9 (16.1%) pre-tricuspid defects (Pre-TD) and
6 (10.7%) after surgery without residual shunt (NO-SHUNT).
Anatomic/haemodynamic parameters were established by echocar-
diography and invasively; and compared to age- and sex-matched
healthy controls (NORMAL).
