Chapters authored
Alcohol Consumption Practice and Associated Risk Factors among University of Limpopo Students
In South Africa, substance rehabilitation centers found alcohol as the primary substance abuse in eight out of the nine provinces. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of alcohol use and associated risk factors among University of Limpopo students with mean age of 21.5 years. This was a cross-sectional study and constituted a total of 500 female students and 417 male students from the University of Limpopo. Logistic regression was used to calculate the association between alcohol consumption and its predictors. Information about their alcohol consumption, the type of alcohol and the practice related to alcohol consumption was collected using a validated questionnaire. Tobacco and marijuana product use were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with alcohol use among University of Limpopo students for unadjusted (OR ranges 4.31 95%CI 2.71 6.87 to 4.92 95%CI 3.16 7.70) and after adjusting for age gender and amount of money deposited into the student account by the bursary scheme (OR ranges from 4.14 95%CI 2.59 6.62 to 4.50 95%CI 2.87 7.06). Tobacco product use, marijuana use and enhancing interpersonal relationships are major risk factors associated to current alcohol use. Future studies are required to investigate the development of lifestyle and cardiovascular disease over time among University of Limpopo students.
Part of the book: Lifestyle and Epidemiology
Inter Arm Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Risk in Young Adults at Ellisras
Cardiovascular disease is a notable cause of death globally. When undetected, varying measurements of BP between arms can lead to inaccuracies in the interpretation and management of blood pressure consequently putting individuals in an avoidable risk through sub-optimal blood pressure control. The aim of the study was to determine the difference in blood pressure between the arms and its association to cardiovascular risk in young adults at Ellisras. A total of 624 young adults aged 18 to 29 years old participated in the study. Blood pressure measurements and blood analysis were done according to standard procedures. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between interarm blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors. There was significant (p ≤ 0.05) mean difference of diastolic blood pressure of the <10 mmHg and ≥ 10 mmHg groups. There was a positive significant association between systolic inter arm blood pressure difference and hypertension (B = 5.331; 95%CI = 12.260–23.183; P = 0.026) while no significant association was found between diastolic blood pressure and interarm diastolic differences in diastolic blood pressure (B = 1.081; 95%CI = 1.032–1.131; P = 0.920). The current study showed positive associations between inter arm differences and a few cardiovascular risk factors including BMI and gender. Detection of an interarm BP difference should motivate the need for a thorough cardiovascular/health assessment.
Part of the book: Lifestyle and Epidemiology