Study of Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in an Urban Community in Togo: A WHO Steps-Wise Approach in Bafilo

Introduction: Risk factors are one of the leading causes of mortality and disability in all countries, regardless of their level of economic development. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in the Bafilo population. Materials and Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from 20 November to 19 December 2019, involving a representative sample of 419 individuals aged 18 - 69 years and living in selected households in Bafilo. The study was carried out with the assistance of the National Institute of Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies. Pregnant women and individuals who had lived in the area for less than six months were excluded. WHO-standardised STEPS tools were used to collect data. STEPS 1 collected demographic information and behavioural measures, STEPS 2 collected physical measurements using valid instruments and techniques, and STEPS 3 collected blood glucose measurements. The analysis was performed using Stata 16 software. Results: Our sample consisted of 419 participants, including 103 men (24.6%) and 316 women (75.4%), giving a male-to-female ratio of 0.3. The 30 - 39 years age group was the most represented, accounting for 27.0% of participants. The prevalence of the following risk factors was as follows: high blood pressure (32.1%), diabetes (20.1%), alcoholism (7.6%), smoking (1.9%), obesity (21.2%), and being overweight (28.1%). The respective prevalence rates were 51.8% for abdominal obesity and 11.0% for sedentary behaviour. Conclusion: Cardiovascular disease risk factors, particularly hypertension and diabetes, are prevalent in Bafilo. This highlights the need to develop plans and strategies to combat this issue, bearing in mind that “today’s risk factors are tomorrow’s diseases”.