Comparative analysis of cardiovascular disease risk factors in rural and urban communities of Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria

Background Modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are rising in Sub-Saharan Africa, similar to trends in high-income countries. This study assessed and compared CVD risk factors in rural and urban Gwagwalada, Abuja. Methodology A Comparative cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,868 adults (967 rural, 901 urban) using a semi-structured questionnaire based on the WHO STEPwise approach to non-communicable disease risk factor surveillance. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were applied with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results The mean age of all participants was 39.9 ± 14.1 years, it was 42.4 ± 14.8 for the rural and 37.3 ± 12.5 for urban. Cardiovascular risk factors among respondents included elevated blood pressure was significantly higher in urban residents (44.3%) compared to rural residents (37.2%), while diabetes was more prevalent in rural (5.4%) than urban populations (3.2%). Overweight (18.7% vs. 31.5%) and obesity (5.7% vs. 8%) were observed across both rural and urban groups respectively. Behavioral risk factors including physical inactivity (76.9% vs. 70.4%), low fruit intake (52.3% vs. 39.1%), low vegetable intake (56% vs. 60.7%), alcohol consumption (38.6% vs. 31.4%), and smoking (6.7% vs. 4.3%) were found in rural and urban settings respectively, with variations by place of residence. Conclusion Cardiovascular disease risk factors are common in both urban and rural populations of Gwagwalada, with similar prevalence rates. This suggests a possible narrowing of traditional rural–urban disparities, with some indication of comparable or higher prevalence in rural areas thus underscoring the need for context-specific, population-based interventions targeting modifiable risk factors in both settings.