Association of Marital Status with Cardiovascular Risks in Urban Dwellers in Nigeria

摘要

Background and Objectives: Marital status usually changes as life progresses. The seemingly increasing incidence of divorce and single status in the developing countries following the advent of westernization has not been completely characterized. The relationship arising from the status of marriage may impact positively or negatively on lifestyle and prevailing circumstance and subsequently influence the health of the subject. This study sought to assess marital status and determine the cardiovascular factors associated with married, single, divorced and widow status in people living in an urban city in Nigeria. Methodology: This was an unstructured cross-sectional study of urban dwellers. Anthropometric, clinical and other relevant data were obtained. Data were compared between different levels of marital status. Results: Females constituted 72.9% and males 27.1% of the subjects. Majority (98.6%) of the subjects were Igbo. Divorce was prevalent in 2.0% (males 2, females 4), widow status in 14.3% (M4, F38) and married status in 69.4% (M52, F152) of the subjects. Divorce was significantly absent among those aged <50 years and those ≥70 years. There was significant association between married status and Hypertension (67.2%), overweight (67.3%), obesity (83.7%), diabetes mellitus (50.0%), thickened atrial wall (57.7%), social activity (67.2%), seasta (61.5%), as well as short duration of nighttime sleep (<4hr) (62.5%), df=3, p<0.001. Majority (62.5%) of the smokers were single, df=3, p<0.001. Single and divorced subjects have the least number of children/dependants, (df=6, p<0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of divorce was low and widow status high in this study. Cardiovascular risks - hypertension, overweight, obesity, diabetes mellitus, short nighttime sleep duration - were common among married subjects, and smoking among single subjects, in urban dwellers.