Obesity Phenotypes and Dyslipidemia in Adults from Four African Countries: An H3Africa AWI-Gen Study

Abstract

In this large multi-county SSA study we observed that the mean lipid levels were higher in Southern (Agincourt, Dikgale and Soweto) and Eastern Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) compared to the two sites in West Africa (Nanoro, Burkina Faso and Navrongo, Ghana). We also observed that the age-standardized prevalence of dyslipidaemia followed a similar pattern. We further observed that all forms of obesity were associated with dyslipidaemia in the full cohort and in the regional blocks. These associations had a similar direction of but the magnitude of association was higher in South Africa then East compared to West Africa. Finally, a greater proportion of the AWI-Gen participants needed screening for dyslipidemia with more men than women needing screening.