Modernity, lifestyles fueling hypertension in schools

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Medics are recording an increase in cases of hypertension among children in urban schools. The increase is linked to lifestyles, which include among others, lack of physical activity, the food they eat and overweight Body Mass Index.

Prof. Roy William Mayega, an epidemiologist at the Makerere School of Public Health said that their recent studies have found that the higher the social-economic status of the school, the higher the prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). In the high-end schools, the prevalence was at 18 per cent.

Mayega, who is also the Public Health School’s Lead Investigator on Diabetes Research said that many people especially the young do not know that they are sick yet routine examination is recommended if one comes from a family with a history of hypertension.

Commenting on the issue, Prof. David John Kabasa, the Principal of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity at Makerere University said that malnutrition is being driven by modernization with many people now opting for packaged low nutrient foods.

Prof Kabasa observes a need to change the approach from managing and talking about diseases only when they strike. For him, there is a need to change the curriculum so that education about some of the diseases starts early in the education system.

Already he says there is a missed opportunity at the level when students go deep into issues, citing introduction to biology at Ordinary Level Secondary School where a topic of carbohydrates is taught but they only speak about foods and how they are essential for life but never mention to learners the dangers in taking some foods in excess and inappropriate ways or preparations.

However, now he says the Ministry of Health is putting together a national NCD technical working group with a representation of educationalists and researchers to come up with among others guidelines on diet and nutrition and physical activity.

For Mayega however, while these documents are always operationalized, some of the provisions are never put to a test of whether or not they will be accepted and work. He points out that while physical education is provided for as one of the school activities, many school managers have abandoned it in favour of things on the curriculum that is credited because PE is never examined and therefore never credited.

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