Table 1 Characteristics of 1466 urban Ghanaians with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension

No.

1466^a

377

675

251

424

Age (years)

50.6 ± 15.3

38.8 ± 14.8

54.7 ± 13.4*

48.6 ± 14.0*

58.3 ± 11.6*

Sex (female, %)

75.9 (1113)

76.4 (288)

74.7 (504)

71.7 (180)

76.2 (323)

Ethnic group (Akan, %)

87.2 (1277)

84.4 (318)

87.8 (592)

83.6 (209)

90.3 (383)^†

Residence (Kumasi metropolitan, %)

73.8 (1079)

79.3 (299)

70.8 (476)^†

68.7 (171)^†

72.1 (305)^†

Clinical data

   Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/l)

6.28 ± 3.52

4.5 ± 0.7

8.28 ± 4.33*

9.0 ± 4.6*

7.92 ± 4.11*

   Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)

134.5 ± 23.2

116.0 ± 11.3

138.3 ± 23.9*

118.6 ± 12.6^†

149.8 ± 21.3*

   Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)

84.8 ± 12.6

76.0 ± 7.5

85.1 ± 12.1*

76.5 ± 7.4

90.2 ± 11.4*

   Triglycerides (mmol/l)

1.44 ± 0.74

1.15 ± 0.56

1.55 ± 0.81*

1.40 ± 0.64*

1.65 ± 0.88*

   Total cholesterol (mmol/l)

6.08 ± 1.75

5.73 ± 1.61

5.95 ± 1.71

5.63 ± 1.54

6.13 ± 1.78^†

   HDL-cholesterol (mmol/l)

1.35 ± 0.40

1.38 ± 0.41

1.29 ± 0.40*

1.31 ± 0.42^†

1.28 ± 0.39*

   LDL-cholesterol (mmol/l)

4.05 ± 1.41

3.82 ± 1.31

3.92 ± 1.36

3.66 ± 1.24

4.07 ± 1.41^†

   Urinary albumin (mg/l)

13.0 (3.3-149.9)

9.0 (4.9-150.1)

14.5 (3.3-150.1)*

10.5 (4.9-150.0)

17.5 (3.3-150.0)*

Anthropometric data

   Waist-to-hip ratio

0.88 ± 0.08

0.83 ± 0.09

0.91 ± 0.07*

0.89 ± 0.07*

0.92 ± 0.07*

   Body mass index (kg/m²)

25.8 ± 5.25

24.6 ± 4.9

25.9 ± 5.1*

24.8 ± 5.3

26.5 ± 4.8*

   Body fat by BIA (%)^b

30.2 ± 9.9

28.8 ± 9.6

29.8 ± 10.1^†

27.9 ± 10.9

30.9 ± 9.4^†

History and activity

Diabetes family history (yes, %)

39.9 (585)

26.3 (99)

57.9 (391)*

59.0 (148)*

57.3 (243)*

Hypertension family history (yes, %)

41.5 (608)

30.2 (114)

40.7 (275)*

31.1 (78)

46.5 (197)*

Smoking status (ever, %) ^c

5.7 (84)

3.7 (14)

7.3 (49)^†

7.2 (18)

7.3 (31)^†

Type of main work (light, %)

88.7 (1250)

92.3 (335)

86.1 (558)^†

83.8 (202)^†

87.5 (356)^†

Working time (h/week)

49.3 ± 22.1

48.4 ± 18.3

49.0 ± 24.0

50.0 ± 24.4

48.1 ± 23.6

Recreational sports (yes, %)

21.2 (311)

22.5 (85)

22.2 (150)

19.5 (49)

23.8 (101)

Energy expenditure (MJ/d)

6.30 ± 3.57

5.34 ± 3.00

6.84 ± 3.70*

6.41 ± 3.54*

7.10 ± 3.78*

Socio-economic data

Literacy (illiterate, %)

35.2 (514)

21.3 (80)

45.8 (308)*

45.0 (113)^†

46.3 (195)*

Unemployed (%)

26.4 (386)

9.8 (37)

36.9 (248)*

24.7 (62)*

44.2 (186)*

No. of people per household

5 (1-100)

5 (1-70)

6 (1-100)*

6 (1-100)*

6 (1-100)*

Wealth score^d

0.58 ± 0.17

0.60 ± 0.15

0.57 ± 0.18^†

0.55 ± 0.18*

0.58 ± 0.18