Browsing by Author "Ntwenya, Julius"

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Association between dietary diversity with overweight and obesity: A cross-sectional study conducted among pastoralists in Monduli District in Tanzania
(PLOS One, 2021-01-13) Khamis, Ahmed; Ntwenya, Julius; Senkoro, Mbazi; Mfinanga, Sayoki; Kreppel, Katharina; Mwanri, Akwilina; Bonfoh, Bassirou; Kwesigabo, Gideon
Background The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising at a rapid pace and is associated with negative health consequences like cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Obesity is a multifactorial problem that develops mainly from lifestyle factors including physical inactivity and poor dietary intake. Dietary diversity is a simplified method for assessing the adequacy and quality of diet and is associated with nutritional need and overall health status. Therefore, we conducted this study to synthesize the associations between consumption of a diversified diet and overweight/ obesity among adults living in pastoral communities in Monduli district in Tanzania. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 510 adults aged ≥ 18 years old in the Monduli district, Arusha region in Tanzania. We conducted face-to-face interviews to collect information about socio-demographic characteristics, 24-hours dietary recall, and anthropometric measurements. The dietary diversity score (DDS) was constructed and used to determine the diversity of the diet consumed. We performed the multivariate Poisson regressions to determine the prevalence ratio (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The dependent variables were overweight and general obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI), abdominal obesity measured by waist-hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference (WC). Results The prevalence of general obesity based on BMI was 20.2% (95%CI; 16.9–23.9), abdominal obesity based on WHR was 37.8% (95%CI; 33.7–42.1), and WC was 29.1% (95%CI; 25.2–33.1). More than half (54.3%) of the participants consumed an adequate dietary diversity (DDS ≥4). After adjustment for potential confounders, the prevalence of abdominal obesity by WHR decreased with higher DDS among male (APR = 0.42; 95% CI, 0.22–0.77) and female participants (APR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.41–0.94). There were inconsistent positive associations between DDS and prevalence of overweight and general obesity among male and female. There was no association between DDS and abdominal obesity by WC. Conclusion More than half of the pastoralists have consumed an adequate diversified diet. Given the inconsistent findings on associations between dietary diversity and obesity measures, this study suggests that targeting dietary diversity as an overweight/obesity prevention strategy requires careful consideration.
Dietary pattern as a predictor of colorectal cancer among general health population in Arusha Tanzania: A population based descriptive study
(International Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2017-03) Katalambula, Leonard; Ntwenya, Julius; Ngoma, Twalib; Buza, Joram; Mpolya, Emmanuel; Paul, Edwin; Petrucka, Pammla
Proper diet is important in preventing many diseases, and colorectal cancer is no exception. The aim of this study was to identify major dietary patterns among the general population in Arusha Tanzania to determine whether diet is one of the predictors contributing to the observed pattern and distribution of colorectal cancer in Tanzania. A population based cross-sectional study recruited a sample of selfreported healthy individuals residing in four wards of the City of Arusha, Tanzania. A total of 549 participants were recruited on a voluntary basis. The Food Frequency Questionnaire and the World Health Organization (WHO) Step® survey tool were used to collect data. Factor analysis, Pearson correlation (Pearson’s r), and logistic regression were used to analyze the data.Two major dietary patterns, namely “healthy” and “western”, and one minor pattern existed among the study population. The "healthy" pattern was generally associated with females (56.2%, p=0.074), people with primary level of education (62.7%, p=0.667), age category of 25 to 44 (66.3%, p= 0.370), normal range body mass index (BMI) (42.4%, p=0.967), self-employed (78.5%), non-smokers (86.6%) and non-alcohol drinkers (51%), although the differences were not statistically significant. "Western" dietary pattern adherence was associated with area of residence (p=0.0001), gender (p=0.003) and BMI status (p=0.04) in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, higher odds were observed in individuals aged 25 to 34 (OR=1.104, 95%, CI(0.537-2.2267) and 45 to 54 OR=1.091, 95%, CI(0.521-2.283), alcohol drinkers (OR=1.2, 95%, CI(0.767-1.877), people with college or high levels of education (OR=0. 853, 95%, CI(0.260-2.803) and OR=0.550, 95%,CI(0. 159-1.897), smokers (OR=1.030, 95%, CI(0.519-2.044) and overweight or obese (OR=2.676, 95%, CI(0.981-7.298) and OR=2.045, 95%, CI(0.767-5.454). These data support our previous hypothesis that diet could be an important potential predictor of the previously observed pattern and distribution of colorectal cancer in Tanzania.
Pattern and Distribution of Colorectal Cancer in Tanzania: A Retrospective Chart Audit at Two National Hospitals
(Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2016-08-09) Katalambula, Leonard; Ntwenya, Julius; Ngoma, Twalib; Buza, Joram; Mpolya, Emmanuel; Mtumwa, Abdallah; Petrucka, Pammla
Background. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a growing public health concern with increasing rates in countries with previously known low incidence. This study determined pattern and distribution of CRC in Tanzania and identified hot spots in case distribution. Methods. A retrospective chart audit reviewed hospital registers and patient files from two national institutions. Descriptive statistics, Chi square (𝜒2) tests, and regression analyses were employed and augmented by data visualization to display risk variable differences. Results. CRC cases increased sixfold in the last decade in Tanzania. There was a 1.5% decrease in incidences levels of rectal cancer and 2% increase for colon cancer every year from 2005 to 2015. Nearly half of patients listed Dar es Salaam as their primary residence. CRC was equally distributed between males (50.06%) and females (49.94%), although gender likelihood of diagnosis type (i.e., rectal or colon) was significantly different (𝑃 = 0.027). More than 60% of patients were between 40 and 69 years. Conclusions. Age (𝑃 = 0.0183) and time (𝑃 = 0.004) but not gender (𝑃 = 0.0864) were significantly associated with rectal cancer in a retrospective study in Tanzania. Gender (𝑃 = 0.0405), age (𝑃 = 0.0015), and time (𝑃 = 0.0075) were all significantly associated with colon cancer in this study. This retrospective study found that colon cancer is more prevalent among males at a relatively younger age than rectal cancer. Further, our study showed that althoughmore patients were diagnosed with rectal cancer, the trend has shown that colon cancer is increasing at a faster rate.