Evaluating Malaria Prevalence Using Clinical Diagnosis Compared with Microscopy and Rapid Diagnostic Tests in a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in Rivers State, Nigeria

The World Health Organization’s policy on laboratory test of all suspected malaria cases before treatment has not yielded significant effects in several rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa due to inadequate diagnostic infrastructure, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates. A cross-sectional randomized study was conducted to evaluate the validity of clinical malaria diagnosis through comparison with microscopy and rapid diagnostic test kits (RDTs) using 1000 consenting outpatients of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Physicians conducted clinical diagnosis, and blood samples were collected through venous procedure and analyzed for malaria parasites using Giemsa microscopy and RDT kits. Microscopy was considered the diagnostic “gold standard” and all data obtained were statistically analyzed using Chi-square test with aPvalue <0.05 considered significant. Malaria prevalence values of 20.1%, 43.1%, and 29.7% were obtained for clinical diagnosis, microscopy, and RDTs, respectively (P<0.05). Values of 47.2%, 95.9%, and 77.8% were obtained for sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy, respectively, in clinical diagnosis, while RDTs had sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy values of 73.7%, 97.3%, and 88.3%, respectively, when compared to microscopy (P<0.05). Clinical diagnosed malaria cases should be confirmed with a parasite-based laboratory diagnosis and more qualitative research is needed to explore why clinicians still use clinical diagnosis despite reported cases of its ineffectiveness.

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Quantifying Pregnant Women’s Knowledge of Educational Components of Antenatal Care in Lesotho

Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery ◽

10.25159/2520-5293/4317 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tabeta Seeiso ◽

Mamutle M. Todd-Maja

Keyword(s):

Antenatal Care ◽

Maternal Mortality ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Geographic Location ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

World Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Danger Signs ◽

In Pregnancy

Antenatal care (ANC) literacy is particularly important for pregnant women who need to make appropriate decisions for care during their pregnancy and childbirth. The link between inadequate health literacy on the educational components of ANC and maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is undisputable. Yet, little is known about the ANC literacy of pregnant women in SSA, with most studies inadequately assessing the four critical components of ANC literacy recommended by the World Health Organization, namely danger signs in pregnancy; true signs of labour; nutrition; and preparedness for childbirth. Lesotho, a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in SSA, is also underexplored in this research area. This cross-sectional study explored the levels of ANC literacy and the associated factors in 451 purposively sampled women in two districts in Lesotho using a structured questionnaire, making recourse to statistical principles. Overall, 16.4 per cent of the participants had grossly inadequate ANC literacy, while 79.8 per cent had marginal levels of such knowledge. The geographic location and level of education were the most significant predictors of ANC literacy, with the latter variable further subjected to post hoc margins test with the Bonferroni correction. The participants had the lowest scores on knowledge of danger signs in pregnancy and true signs of labour. Adequate ANC literacy is critical to reducing maternal mortality in Lesotho. Improving access to ANC education, particularly in rural areas, is recommended. This study also provides important recommendations critical to informing the national midwifery curriculum.

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Spatial and epidemiological drivers of P. falciparum malaria among adults in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

10.1101/2020.01.28.20018978 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Molly Deutsch-Feldman ◽

Nicholas F. Brazeau ◽

Jonathan B. Parr ◽

Kyaw L. Thwai ◽

Jérémie Muwonga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Community Level ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

World Health ◽

Sequencing Data ◽

Cross Sectional

AbstractBackgroundMalaria remains a significant public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Adults are frequently infected and may serve as a reservoir for further transmission, yet we know relatively little about risk factors for adult infections. In this study, we assessed malaria risk factors amongst adults using samples from the nationally representative, cross-sectional 2013-2014 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We further explored differences in risk factors by urbanicity.MethodsPlasmodium falciparum infection was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Covariates were drawn from the DHS to model individual, community, and environmental level risk factors for infection. Additionally, we used deep sequencing data to estimate the community-level proportions of drug resistant infections and included these estimates as potential risk factors. All identified factors were assessed for differences in associations by urbanicity.ResultsA total of 16,126 adults were included. Overall prevalence of malaria was 30.3% (SE = 1.1) by PCR; province-level prevalence ranged from 6.7-58.3%. Only 17% of individuals lived in households with at least one bednet for every two people, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Protective factors included increasing within-household bednet coverage (PR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.76 - 0.95) and modern housing (PR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.49 - 0.69). Community level protective factors included: increased average education and wealth (PR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.65-0.91; PR - 0.84, 95% CI = 0.80 - 0.89). Education, wealth, and modern housing showed protective associations in cities but not in rural areas.ConclusionsThe DRC continues to suffer from a high burden of malaria; interventions that target high-risk groups and sustained investment in malaria control are sorely needed. Differences in risk factors by urbanicity may be due to differences in transmission intensity or access to resources.

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Hepatitis B Vaccination in Senegalese Children: Coverage, Timeliness, and Sociodemographic Determinants of Non-Adherence to Immunisation Schedules (ANRS 12356 AmBASS Survey)

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9050510 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 510

Author(s):

Lauren Périères ◽

Fabienne Marcellin ◽

Gora Lo ◽

Camelia Protopopescu ◽

El Ba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis B ◽

Dose Schedule ◽

World Health Organisation ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

World Health ◽

Hepatitis B Vaccination ◽

Detailed Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hbv Vaccination

Detailed knowledge about hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination coverage and timeliness for sub-Saharan Africa is scarce. We used data from a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in 2018–2019 in the area of Niakhar, Senegal, to estimate coverage, timeliness, and factors associated with non-adherence to the World Health Organisation-recommended vaccination schedules in children born in 2016 (year of the birth dose (BD) introduction in Senegal) and 2017–2018. Vaccination status was assessed from vaccination cards, surveillance data, and healthcare post vaccination records. Among 241 children with available data, for 2016 and 2017–2018, respectively, 31.0% and 66.8% received the BD within 24 h of birth (BD schedule), and 24.3% and 53.7% received the BD plus at least two pentavalent vaccine doses within the recommended timeframes (three-dose schedule). In logistic regression models, home birth, dry season birth, and birth in 2016 were all associated with non-adherence to the recommended BD and three-dose schedules. Living over three kilometres from the nearest healthcare post, being the firstborn, and living in an agriculturally poorer household were only associated with non-adherence to the three-dose schedule. The substantial proportion of children not vaccinated according to recommended schedules highlights the importance of considering vaccination timeliness when evaluating vaccination programme effectiveness. Outreach vaccination activities and incentives to bring children born at home to healthcare facilities within 24 h of birth, must be strengthened to improve timely HBV vaccination.

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Violence and discrimination among Ugandan residents during the COVID-19 lockdown

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10532-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth Katana ◽

Bob Omoda Amodan ◽

Lilian Bulage ◽

Alex R. Ario ◽

Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Control Measures ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

World Health ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Transport Systems ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

The Past

Abstract Background In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive, implemented lockdowns, curfew, banning of both private and public transport systems, and mass gatherings to minimize spread. Social control measures for COVID-19 are reported to increase violence and discrimination globally, including in Uganda as some may be difficult to implement resulting in the heavy deployment of law enforcement. Media reports indicated that cases of violence and discrimination had increased in Uganda’s communities following the lockdown. We estimated the incidence and factors associated with experiencing violence and discrimination among Ugandans during the COVID-19 lockdown to inform control and prevention measures. Methods In April 2020, we conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data under the International Citizen Project (ICP) to assess adherence to public health measures and their impact on the COVID-19 outbreak in Uganda. We analyzed data on violence and discrimination from the ICP study. We performed descriptive statistics for all the participants’ characteristics and created a binary outcome variable called experiencing violence and/or discrimination. We performed logistic regression analysis to identify the factors associated with experiencing violence and discrimination. Results Of the 1726 ICP study participants, 1051 (58.8%) were males, 841 (48.7%) were currently living with a spouse or partner, and 376 (21.8%) had physically attended work for more than 3 days in the past week. Overall, 145 (8.4%) experienced any form of violence and/or discrimination by any perpetrator, and 46 (31.7%) of the 145 reported that it was perpetrated by a law enforcement officer. Factors associated with experiencing violence or discrimination were: being male (AOR = 1.60 CI:1.10–2.33), having attended work physically for more than 3 days in the past week (AOR = 1.52 CI:1.03–2.23), and inability to access social or essential health services since the epidemic started (AOR = 3.10 CI:2.14–4.50). Conclusion A substantial proportion of Ugandan residents experienced violence and/or discrimination during the COVID-19 lockdown, mostly perpetrated by law enforcement officers. We recommend mitigation of the collateral impact of lockdowns with interventions that focus on improving policing quality, ensuring continuity of essential services, and strengthening support systems for vulnerable groups including males.

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Diagnostic accuracy of symptoms as a diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV 2 infection: a cross-sectional study in a cohort of 2,173 patients

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-021-05930-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Carlos Alfonso Romero-Gameros ◽

Tania Colin-Martínez ◽

Salomón Waizel-Haiat ◽

Guadalupe Vargas-Ortega ◽

Eduardo Ferat-Osorio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diagnostic Accuracy ◽

Diagnostic Tool ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

World Health ◽

Likelihood Ratios ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Organization

Abstract Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to be a priority health problem; According to the World Health Organization data from October 13, 2020, 37,704,153 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported, including 1,079,029 deaths, since the outbreak. The identification of potential symptoms has been reported to be a useful tool for clinical decision-making in emergency departments to avoid overload and improve the quality of care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performances of symptoms as a diagnostic tool for SARS -CoV-2 infection. Methods An observational, cross-sectional, prospective and analytical study was carried out, during the period of time from April 14 to July 21, 2020. Data (demographic variables, medical history, respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms) were collected by emergency physicians. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was made using SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. The diagnostic accuracy of these characteristics for COVID-19 was evaluated by calculating the positive and negative likelihood ratios. A Mantel-Haenszel and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association of symptoms with COVID-19. Results A prevalence of 53.72% of SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed. The symptom with the highest sensitivity was cough 71%, and a specificity of 52.68%. The symptomatological scale, constructed from 6 symptoms, obtained a sensitivity of 83.45% and a specificity of 32.86%, taking ≥2 symptoms as a cut-off point. The symptoms with the greatest association with SARS-CoV-2 were: anosmia odds ratio (OR) 3.2 (95% CI; 2.52–4.17), fever OR 2.98 (95% CI; 2.47–3.58), dyspnea OR 2.9 (95% CI; 2.39–3.51]) and cough OR 2.73 (95% CI: 2.27–3.28). Conclusion The combination of ≥2 symptoms / signs (fever, cough, anosmia, dyspnea and oxygen saturation < 93%, and headache) results in a highly sensitivity model for a quick and accurate diagnosis of COVID-19, and should be used in the absence of ancillary diagnostic studies. Symptomatology, alone and in combination, may be an appropriate strategy to use in the emergency department to guide the behaviors to respond to the disease. Trial registration Institutional registration R-2020-3601-145, Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks 17 CI-09-015-034, National Bioethics Commission: 09 CEI-023-2017082.

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Quality of Antenatal, Labour and Delivery Services in Selected Districts in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

10.52916/jogs214011 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Clara Opha Haruzivishe

Keyword(s):

Perinatal Care ◽

Neonatal Morbidity ◽

Health Facilities ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Morbidity And Mortality ◽

World Health ◽

Performance Standard ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Services

Background: High Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Ratios persist in Sub-Saharan Africa despite increasing perinatal care coverage. This suggests that coverage alone is not adequate to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Quality of care should be the emphasis of maternal and child care services. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional multicentre study was conducted in selected health facilities in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe using purposive sampling. A World Health Organization-WHO 2016 Quality of Maternal and New-born assessment Framework and the WHO (2015) Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool were used for data collection. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) version 24.0. Results: Less than 43% of the health facilities satisfied at least three of the five Performance Standards of availability and adequacy of Antenatal infrastructure and supplies. Regarding Antenatal processes/care, an observation was the most common performance standard satisfied by 70.6% of all health facilities assessed while less than 30% fulfilled all other standards. Only 57.1% of the health facilities satisfied 5 of the 11 standards for labour and delivery infrastructure, while only 55.6% of the Health facilities satisfied only two of the 13 standards of Labour and delivery care. Conclusion: To achieve a significant and sustainable reduction in maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, there is a need for investment and improvement in maternity care services infrastructure and processes as opposed to focusing on mere attendance of Antenatal, and deliveries by trained birth attendants.

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Does Static Intra Access Pressure Monitoring of Arteriovenous Fistulas Predicts Intra Access Stenosis?

Pakistan Journal of Kidney Diseases ◽

10.53778/pjkd40349 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (03) ◽

Author(s):

Abaid ur Rehman ◽

Muhammad Imran Khan ◽

Omer Sabir ◽

Muhammad Mohsin Riaz ◽

Mubashar Dilawar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diagnostic Accuracy ◽

Vascular Access ◽

Doppler Ultrasonography ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Female Ratio ◽

Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽

Doppler Us ◽

Sensitivity Specificity ◽

Male To Female

The initiation of hemodialysis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) requires vascular access formation. The choice of vascular access for individual patient depends on various factors however arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is conventionally considered to be the vascular access of choice. Once hemodialysis is initiated through a mature AVF, there is an ongoing need for surveillance of the AVF to ensure adequate function and prevent vascular access issues among which flow obstruction (both inflow and outflow) remains the most important. AVF stenosis can potentially lead to inadequate dialysis delivery and thrombosis thus leading to access loss. Physical examination and AVF Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) are useful for evaluation of stenosis in the arteriovenous connection and the outflow tract. Periodic assessment of the AVF with Static Intra access Pressure (SIAPR) determination may be a reliable means of predicting vascular access stenosis. Material & Methods A cross sectional study carried out at Department of Nephrology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore from July 2018 to December 2018. In total 113 patients were included, and all patients underwent SIAPR assessment and Doppler Ultrasound of AVF. Results Mean age of the patients was 56.81±9.38 years, male to female ratio of the patients was 1.8:1. In this study the SIAPR was suggestive of stenosis in 87(76.99%) patients. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of SIAPR against Doppler US of the AVF for detection of stenosis was 75.86%, 22.62% & 36.28% respectively Conclusion SIAPR has low specificity and diagnostic accuracy compared to Doppler US for detection of AVF stenosis.

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ACCURACY OF THE UPPER LIP BITE TEST;

The Professional Medical Journal ◽

10.29309/tpmj/2013.20.01.589 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 20 (01) ◽

pp. 132-138

Author(s):

MUHAMMAD ATIF ◽

MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH ◽

MUHAMMAD JAVAD YOUSAF ◽

Khalid Buland

Keyword(s):

Positive Predictive Value ◽

Diagnostic Accuracy ◽

Difficult Intubation ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Elective Surgery ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Military Hospital ◽

Upper Lip ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sensitivity Specificity

Objective: To compare the accuracy of Upper lip bite test with modified Mallampati classification for predicting the difficultlaryngoscopic intubation. Study Design: Cross sectional Study. Place and duration of study: The study was carried out at Department ofAnaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain management, Combined Military hospital, Rawalpindi from September 2008 to August 2009.Patients and Methods: Four hundred patients undergoing elective surgery meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria were enrolled afterwritten informed consent. The airways of the patients were evaluated by using the modified Mallampati classification (MMP) and theUpper lip bite test (ULBT). MMP class 3 or 4 and ULBT class 3 were considered as indicators of difficult intubation. The laryngeal view wasgraded by Cormack and Lehane classification (Gold standard). Grade 1 or 2 was considered to represent easy intubation and grade 3 or 4to represent difficult intubation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy werecalculated for both the tests separately by using the 2×2 table. Results: ULBT had a higher accuracy of 94%, specificity of 99.2% andpositive predictive value 70% compared to MMP accuracy of 82.7%, specificity of 84.4% and positive predictive value of 22.7%.Conclusions: The diagnostic accuracy of the Upper lip bite test was more than the modified Mallampati classification. We suggest that itbe compared with the other prevailing tests as well which are often used to assess difficult intubations.

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Prevalence and Mortality of Cryptococcal Disease in Adults with Advanced HIV in an Urban Tertiary Hospital in Sierra Leone: A Prospective Study

10.21203/rs.2.11153/v2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sulaiman Lakoh ◽

Hannah Rickman ◽

Momodu Sesay ◽

Sartie Kenneh ◽

Rachael M. Burke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sierra Leone ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cd4 Count ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

World Health ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Hiv Patients ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cryptococcal Disease

Abstract Background The global annual estimate for cryptococcal disease related deaths exceeds 180,000, with three fourth occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) screening in all HIV patients with CD4 count <100/µl. As there is no previous published study on the burden and impact of cryptococcal disease in Sierra Leone, research is needed to inform public health policies. We aimed to establish the seroprevalence and mortality of cryptococcal disease in adults with advanced HIV attending an urban tertiary hospital in Sierra Leone. MethodsA cross-sectional study design was used to screen consecutive adult (18 years or older) HIV patients at Connaught Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone with CD4 count below 100 cells/mm3 from January to April, 2018. Participants received a blood CrAg lateral flow assay (IMMY, Oklahoma, USA). All participants with a positive serum CrAg had lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) CrAg assay, and those with cryptococcal diseases had fluconazole monotherapy with eight weeks followed up. Data were entered into Excel and analysed in Stata version 13.0. Proportions, median and interquartile ranges were used to summarise the data. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare categorical variables. Results A total of 170 patients, with median age of 36 (IQR 30-43) and median CD4 count of 45 cells/mm3 (IQR 23-63) were screened. At the time of enrolment, 54% were inpatients, 51% were newly diagnosed with HIV, and 56% were either ART-naïve or newly initiated (≤ 30 days). Eight participants had a positive blood CrAg, giving a prevalence of 4.7% (95% CI: 2.4-9.2%). Of those with a positive CrAg, CSF CrAg was positive in five (62.5%). Five (62.5%) CrAg-positive participants died within the first month, while the remaining three were alive and established on ART at eight weeks. ConclusionA substantial prevalence of cryptococcal antigenaemia and poor outcome of cryptococcal disease were demonstrated in our study. The high mortality suggests a need for the HIV programme to formulate and implement policies on screening and pre-emptive fluconazole therapy for all adults with advanced HIV in Sierra Leone, and advocate for affordable access to effective antifungal therapies.

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Anthropometric measurements as predictors of hypertension in Busia, Vihiga, Trans Nzoia and Siaya counties of Western Kenya

10.1101/2021.07.07.21258941 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Thomas Andale ◽

Vitalis A. Orango ◽

Gerald Omondi Lwande ◽

Grace W Mwaura ◽

Richard Mugo Ngari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Predictive Power ◽

Anthropometric Measurements ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Operating Characteristics ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Western Kenya ◽

Reduced Physical Activity ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Sensitivity Specificity

Emerging data suggest a rise in the incidence rate of hypertension in many countries within Sub-Saharan Africa. This has been attributed to socioeconomic factors that have influenced diet and reduced physical activity further deranging anthropometric measurements. We assessed the predictive power of three anthropometric indicators namely: waist circumference (WC), waist to height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI) in detecting hypertension. This cross-sectional community survey was conducted in four counties within Western Kenya between October 2018 to April 2019 among 3594 adults. The participants sociodemographic data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurements taken. We used the R-software for descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the association between anthropometric measurements and hypertension while logistic regressions estimated the likelihood of hypertension. Youden method was used to identify optimal anthropometric cut-offs for sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve computation. The crude prevalence of hypertension was 23.3%, however it rose with advancement in age. Furthermore, obese individuals had a three-fold (AOR=2.64; 95% CI: 2.09, 3.35) increased likelihood of hypertension compared to those with a normal BMI. The optimal WC cut-off was 82.5cm for men and 87cm for women, an optimal WHtR of 0.47 for men and 0.55 for women; while the optimal BMI cut-off was 23.7 kg/m2 and 22.6 kg/m2 for men and women respectively. The sensitivity of WC, WHtR and BMI for men was 0.60, 0.65 and 0.39 respectively and 0.71, 0.65 and 0.78 respectively for women. BMI is the best predictor for hypertension among women but a poor predictor for men; WC had a high hypertension predictive power for both gender while WHtR is the best hypertension predictor for men.

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