Dietary behavior among lecturers.

IntroductionResearch works relating to the lifestyle of students, non-academic staff, and communities have had considerable attention. However, studies on the lifestyles of university lecturers in Ghana and their association with the occurrence of hypertension and diabetes have received very scanty attention.ObjectiveThis study assesses the modifiable lifestyle practices among lecturers in a Ghanaian university, and how these are associated with the occurrence of hypertension and diabetes.MethodsIt was a cross-sectional study design with a quantitative approach involving 205 lecturers in a Ghanaian university. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression.ResultsThe study found that 50.73% and 33.66% of lecturers were overweight (25.0 2) and Obese (2) respectively. Also, 97.07% and 85.85% % of Lecturers had normal fasting blood sugar (130mmgH, diastolic >90mmgH). Lecturers from the Colleges of Health Science and Engineering were 4 times [COR: 4.11; 95% CI (1.30–12.95)] more likely to develop high blood pressure when compared to those in other Colleges. The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among the university lecturers was found to be 54.6% and 17.07% respectively.ConclusionThe study concludes that modifiable lifestyles are precursors for the occurrence of hypertension and diabetes among the lecturers studied in a Ghanaian university.