Research
Adherence
Urban women face the highest risk of multimorbidity (having two or more of hypertension, diabetes, or obesity) compared to rural women and men in either setting.
Urban women should be particularly vigilant about managing multiple health markers simultaneously. Because the risk of having high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and excess weight together is highest for this group, regular screening for all three is essential.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Multimorbidity was highest in urban women (n=519, 7%).
Why this rating
Large sample size and clear definition of multimorbidity.
Source
Prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, and cascade of care in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional, population-based study in rural and urban Malawi
Alison Price et al. · The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · 2018
DOI 10.1016/s2213-8587(17)30432-1
cross_sectional · n=28891Cited 363×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Urban residence, higher socioeconomic status, and female sex are significantly associated with increased prevalence of overweight, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in sub-Saharan African populations, contradicting the traditional view that these conditions are primarily diseases of affluence in high-income countries.Good
- A significant proportion of individuals with diagnosed hypertension or diabetes in this population have poorly controlled conditions, with less than half of those on medication achieving target blood glucose or blood pressure levels.Good
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