Table 1.
General characteristics of the rural adult Ghanaian study population stratified by gender and for the combined population.
| Variables | Men (n = 846, 46%) | Women (n = 993, 54%) | Total (N = 1839) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 50 (40–66) | 52 (40–60) | 51 (40–60) | <0.001 |
|
| ||||
| Ethnicity | ||||
| Kassena | 439 (51.9) | 516 (52.0) | 955 (51.9) | <0.001 |
| Nankana | 392 (46.3) | 401 (40.4) | 793 (43.1) | |
| Minority ethnic groups | 15 (1.77) | 76 (7.65) | 91 (4.95) | |
|
| ||||
| Educational status | ||||
| No formal education | 517 (61.1) | 768 (77.3) | 1285 (69.9) | <0.001 |
| Formal education | 329 (38.9) | 225 (22.7) | 554 (30.1) | |
|
| ||||
| Employment status | ||||
| Unemployed | 292 (34.5) | 390 (39.3) | 682 (37.1) | 0.035 |
| Employed | 554 (65.5) | 603 (60.7) | 1157 (62.9) | |
|
| ||||
| Marital status | ||||
| Currently married | 717 (84.8) | 632 (63.7) | 1349 (73.4) | <0.001 |
| Currently unmarried | 129 (15.3) | 361 (36.4) | 490 (26.6) | |
|
| ||||
| Household SES | ||||
| Low SES | 625 (73.8) | 817 (82.3) | 430 (23.4) | <0.001 |
| High SES | 221 (26.1) | 176 (17.7) | 397 (21.6) | |
|
| ||||
| Fruit intake (servings/week) | 7 (0–7) | 7 (0–7) | 7 (0–7) | 0.094 |
| Vegetable intake (servings/week) | 21.0 (14.0–35.0) | 21.0 (14.0–28.0) | 21.0 (14.0–28.0) | 0.002 |
| Vendor meals (times/month) | 0.003 (0.00–60.0) | 0.00 (0.00–30.0) | 0.00 (0.00–60.0) | <0.001 |
|
| ||||
| Alcohol intake | ||||
| No alcohol intake | 291 (34.4) | 606 (60.6) | 893 (48.6) | |
| Current alcohol intake | 555 (65.6) | 391 (39.4) | 946 (51.4) | <0.001 |
|
| ||||
| Tobacco smoking | ||||
| No smoking | 661 (78.1) | 979 (98.6) | 1640 (89.2) | |
| Current smoking | 185 (21.9) | 14 (1.4) | 199 (10.9) | <0.001 |
|
| ||||
| Smokeless tobacco | ||||
| No smokeless tobacco use | 760 (89.8) | 892 (89.8) | 1652 (89.8) | |
| Current smokeless tobacco use | 86 (10.2) | 101 (10.2) | 187 (10.2) | 0.997 |
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| ||||
| Pesticide exposure | 509 (60.2) | 497 (50.1) | 1006 (54.7) | <0.001 |
| Physical activity | ||||
| Less physically active | 80 (9.46) | 182 (18.33) | 262 (14.25) | <0.001 |
| More physically active | 766 (90.54) | 811 (81.67) | ||
|
| ||||
| MVPA (hours/week) | 41.0 (17.0–5.00) | 28.0 (5.00–44.0) | 34.5 (9.00–48.0) | <0.001 |
| Sleeping (hours/week) | 56 (49–61) | 56 (54–63) | 56 (49–63) | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 20.5 (19.0–22.3) | 21.5 (19.7–24.0) | 20.5 (19.0–22.3) | <0.001 |
| Hip (cm) | 8.30 (7.90–8.80) | 8.80 (8.30–9.40) | 8.30 (7.90–8.80) | <0.001 |
| Waist (cm) | 7.20 (6.80–7.70) | 7.50 (7.10–8.20) | 7.40 (6.90–7.90) | <0.001 |
| HDL-C (mmol/l) | 1.14 (0.90–1.40) | 1.08 (0.89–1.31) | 1.10 (0.90–1.35) | 0.002 |
| LDL-C (mmol/l) | 1.58 (1.12–2.16) | 1.61 (1.19–2.13) | 1.60 (1.16–2.14) | 0.427 |
| TC (mmol/l) | 3.13 (2.59–3.70) | 3.20 (2.69–3.82) | 3.16 (2.63–3.78) | 0.038 |
| TG (mmol/l) | 0.56 (0.43–0.73) | 0.55 (0.43–0.73) | 0.55 (0.43–0.73) | 0.770 |
| Visceral fat (cm) | 4.03 (3.29–4.83) | 3.32 (2.75–4.10) | 3.63 (2.99–4.50) | <0.001 |
| Subcutaneous fat (cm) | 0.70 (0.56–0.87) | 1.01 (0.74–1.45) | 0.83 (0.62–1.18) | <0.001 |
Data shown as n (%) or median (interquartile range); MVPA: moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.