{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T23:11:56Z","timestamp":1793315516912,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,5]],"date-time":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1707091200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,5]],"date-time":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1707091200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Adolescence is a crucial period for noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factors, and interventions to reduce the NCD burden must target this age group. This study aimed to evaluate the NCD behavioural risk factors in adolescents attending state secondary schools in an urban setting in Cameroon. We conducted a cross-sectional survey using adapted structured questionnaires to assess the prevalence and correlates of NCD behavioural risk factors among adolescents attending selected urban state secondary schools in Douala IV, one of the six subdivisions in Douala, Cameroon. Of the 645 students who completed the study questionnaires, half of them did not have adequate knowledge about NCDs and their risk factors. Only 20% met recommended physical activity levels, nearly half lived sedentary lifestyles, and only 7% ate a healthy diet. Almost half of all participants reported drinking alcohol during the month, while 3% reported cigarette smoking. Participants with inadequate knowledge of NCDs were more likely to have elevated blood pressure values, and males had increased odds of high blood pressure. Contrarily, being male appeared to be protective against overweight and obesity. The odds of being sedentary decreased with age, and the odds of alcohol drinking seemed to grow with a higher maternal level of education. Our survey shows inadequate knowledge about NCDs and a high prevalence of NCD behavioural risk factors in adolescents in urban state secondary schools in Cameroon. These findings predict a higher NCD burden in future adults in the country, reinforcing the need for urgent public health interventions, especially regarding knowledge and sedentary living. Further research is needed to establish the transition of adolescent risk factors to adult disease through life course approaches in these settings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-17753-1","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,5]],"date-time":"2024-02-05T06:05:08Z","timestamp":1707113108000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Noncommunicable diseases behavioural risk factors among secondary school adolescents in Urban Cameroon"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"24","author":[{"given":"Changoh Marvel","family":"Changoh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lambed","family":"Tatah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Desmond","family":"Aroke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dickson","family":"Nsagha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simeon-Pierre","family":"Choukem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"17753_CR1","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Preventing chronic diseases: a vital investment. Geneva: World Health Organization; Public Health Agency of Canada; 2005."},{"key":"17753_CR2","volume-title":"Global status report on non-communicable diseases 2010","author":"\u015aO Zdrowia","year":"2011","unstructured":"Zdrowia \u015aO. Global status report on non-communicable diseases 2010. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2011."},{"key":"17753_CR3","unstructured":"World Health Organisation. Non-communicable diseases 2022. https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/noncommunicable-diseases."},{"key":"17753_CR4","unstructured":"Riley L, Gouda H, Cowan M. Non-communicable diseases progress monitor, World Health Organization. 2017. 2017."},{"key":"17753_CR5","unstructured":"World Health Organization. World health statistics 2018: Monitoring health for the SDGs. 2018."},{"key":"17753_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"961","DOI":"10.1093\/IJE\/DYI188","volume":"34","author":"S Ebrahim","year":"2005","unstructured":"Ebrahim S, Smeeth L. Non-communicable diseases in low and middle-income countries: a priority or a distraction? Int J Epidemiol. 2005;34:961\u20136. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/IJE\/DYI188.","journal-title":"Int J Epidemiol"},{"key":"17753_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.1186\/1744-8603-7-44","volume":"7","author":"JB Echouffo-Tcheugui","year":"2011","unstructured":"Echouffo-Tcheugui JB, Kengne AP. Chronic non-communicable diseases in Cameroon - burden, determinants and current policies. Global Health. 2011;7:44. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/1744-8603-7-44.","journal-title":"Global Health"},{"key":"17753_CR8","volume-title":"Non-communicable diseases country profiles 2018","author":"World Health Organisation","year":"2018","unstructured":"World Health Organisation. Non-communicable diseases country profiles 2018. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018."},{"key":"17753_CR9","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Global action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases: 2013\u20132020. 2013."},{"key":"17753_CR10","volume-title":"Global status report on non-communicable diseases 2014: attaining the nine global non-communicable diseases targets; a shared responsibility","author":"World Helath Organization","year":"2014","unstructured":"World Helath Organization. Global status report on non-communicable diseases 2014: attaining the nine global non-communicable diseases targets; a shared responsibility. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014."},{"key":"17753_CR11","volume-title":"Report on the status of major health risk factors for non-communicable diseases: WHO African Region, 2015","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2016","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Report on the status of major health risk factors for non-communicable diseases: WHO African Region, 2015. Regional Office for Africa: WHO; 2016."},{"key":"17753_CR12","unstructured":"Ministry of Public Health, World Health Organization (WHO), US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cameroon - Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2014. 2014. https:\/\/extranet.who.int\/ncdsmicrodata\/index.php\/catalog\/118"},{"key":"17753_CR13","unstructured":"Blum R, Gates H. Non-Communicable Diseases and Adolescents An opportunity for action 2011."},{"key":"17753_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.4103\/SJA.SJA_543_18","volume":"13","author":"S Cuschieri","year":"2019","unstructured":"Cuschieri S. The STROBE guidelines. Saudi J Anaesth. 2019;13:31\u20134. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/SJA.SJA_543_18.","journal-title":"Saudi J Anaesth"},{"key":"17753_CR15","unstructured":"Lwanga SK, Lemeshow SCN-RSL. 1991. Sample size determination in health studies: a practical manual. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1991."},{"key":"17753_CR16","unstructured":"Global School-based Student Health. Survey (GSHS) 2013 core questionnaire modules final."},{"key":"17753_CR17","unstructured":"Center for Disease Control. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 2017 YRBS Data User\u2019s Guide. 2017."},{"key":"17753_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Okpokowuruk FS, Akpan MU, Ikpeme EE. Prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension among children and adolescents in a semi-urban area of Uyo metropolis, Nigeria. Pan Afr Med J. 2017;28. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.11604\/pamj.2017.28.303.14396.","DOI":"10.11604\/pamj.2017.28.303.14396"},{"key":"17753_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e375","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-2667(17)30123-8","volume":"2","author":"JJ Noubiap","year":"2017","unstructured":"Noubiap JJ, Essouma M, Bigna JJ, Jingi AM, Aminde LN, Nansseu JR. Prevalence of elevated blood pressure in children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Public Health. 2017;2:e375\u201386. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S2468-2667(17)30123-8.","journal-title":"Lancet Public Health"},{"key":"17753_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Gamage AU, Jayawardana PL. Knowledge of non-communicable diseases and practices related to healthy lifestyles among adolescents, in state schools of a selected educational division in Sri Lanka. BMC Public Health. 2018;18. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12889-017-4622-z.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-017-4622-z"},{"key":"17753_CR21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"African Health Observatory.: Cameroon, 2022.","DOI":"10.5089\/9798400227264.002"},{"key":"17753_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1186\/s13690-015-0100-1","volume":"73","author":"BHM Ngahane","year":"2015","unstructured":"Ngahane BHM, Ekobo HA, Kuaban C. Prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking among college students: a cross-sectional study in Douala. Cameroon Archives of Public Health. 2015;73:47. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s13690-015-0100-1.","journal-title":"Cameroon Archives of Public Health"}],"container-title":["BMC Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12889-024-17753-1.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s12889-024-17753-1\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12889-024-17753-1.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,5]],"date-time":"2024-02-05T06:09:21Z","timestamp":1707113361000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12889-024-17753-1"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,5]]},"references-count":22,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12]]}},"alternative-id":["17753"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12889-024-17753-1","relation":{},"ISSN":["1471-2458"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1471-2458","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,5]]},"assertion":[{"value":"7 July 2023","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"11 January 2024","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"5 February 2024","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. We obtained ethical approval from the Faculty of Health Sciences Institutional Review Board of the University of Buea (IRB\/FHS:901-01). In addition, we obtained administrative approvals from the Regional Delegation of Secondary Education, the Regional Delegation of Public Health for the Littoral Region, and the respective schools\u2019 administrations to participate in the study. Written Infromed Consent was obtained from all participants\u2019 parents\/guardians and assent was obtained from all participants after adequately informing them of any study inconvenience and their right to withdraw without prejudice at any stage during the study.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"377"}}