Abstract:

This is a review of the article titled "The burden of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in rural communities in southern Nigeria" written by the duo of Alphonsus Rukevwe Isara & Patrick Otamere Okundia as published in the journal Pan African Medical Journal of February, 2015, volume 20: page 103, with DOI number; doi:10.11604/pamj.2015.20.103.5619, and accessed from, http://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/20/103/full/. The review covered the evaluation of related literature, the structure of the article, authority, currency, accuracy, relevance, objectivity and stability. Furthermore, appraisal of the tables, recent advances, credibility and accessibility of the article were carried out. The objective of the original article was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus among adult residents of rural communities in southern Nigeria. Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes & obesity evidently had been on the increase and now are of public health importance in rural communities of developing countries, where it has been shown to complicate the outcome of cardiovascular diseases. The authors employed a cross- sectional survey method to screen adult residents of the selected rural communities in Southern Nigeria. Blood pressure, random blood sugar, weight, and height were measured and Body Mass Index was calculated from height /weight, as well, the respondents were interviewed with the aid of a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The result showed one-third of the participants had hypertension, one–third were obese/ overweight, while about 4% had diabetes amongst others. Overall, this is an objectively written article, credible in all ramifications and has contributed to the body of knowledge on the topic especially in this part of the world. The challenge of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity is enormous and requires urgent intervention to forestall the rising trend of these disease conditions and its attendant complications in developing countries.

Keywords: Hypertension, Diabetes, Obesity, Overweight, Prevalence, Rural Communities.

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