Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Secondary School Adolescents in the City of Garoua, Cameroon

While traditionally considered as a period of good health, adolescence with contemporary lifestyles and environmental factors is facing an alarming rise in cardiovascular risk factors. This was a school based cross sectional study including adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old in the city of Garoua. Physical activity, smoking, overweight, obesity, elevated blood pressure, hypertension, prediabetes and diabetes were evaluated. We included 938 participants (68.8% female) with a mean age of 16 ± 2 years. The most frequent risk factor was physical inactivity (52.8%). Overweight/obesity was more frequent in private schools (ORa = 2.76 [1.80 – 4.22], p < 0.001). Prediabetes/diabetes was significantly more frequent in the [10-15[ age category, in female participants, and in private schools (ORa = 2.16 [1.53 – 3.07]; p < 0.001, ORa = 1.50 [1.01 – 2.22]; p = 0.045, and ORa = 2,56 [1.79 – 3.66]; p < 0,001 respectively). Physical inactivity was significantly more frequent in female students and in the [10-15[ age category (ORa = 2.22 [1.68 – 2.95]; p < 0.001 and ORa = 1.37 [1.04 – 1.82]; p = 0.026 respectively). Male adolescents had 7-fold higher risk of smoking. There was no significant difference in the proportions of elevated blood pressure/hypertension, and abdominal obesity. Cardiovascular risk factors are present among secondary school adolescents in the city of Garoua. Public health policies should be implemented for the prevention and early management of these risk factors.