Table 2

Descriptive characteristics of the participants by study site

KingstonSt. HyacintheTiranaManizalesNatal
289 (17.8%)310 (19%)344 (21.1%)374 (23%)311 (19.1%)
n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)
MetS
  Yes92 (31.8%)96 (31.0%)171 (49.7%)172 (46.0%)164 (52.7%)
  No197 (68.2%)214 (69.0%)173 (50.3%)202 (54.0%)147 (47.3%)
Sex
  Female152 (52.6%)166 (53.5%)178 (51.7%)190 (50.8%)158 (50.8%)
  Male137 (47.4%)144 (46.5%)166 (48.3%)184 (49.2%)153 (49.2%)
Educational attainment
  Primary/illiterate29 (10.0%)85 (27.4%)54 (15.7%)310 (82.9%)282 (90.7%)
  Secondary37 (12.8%)67 (21.6%)79 (23.0%)19 (5.1%)15 (4.8%)
  Postsecondary223 (77.2%)158 (51.0%)211 (61.3%)45 (12.0%)14 (4.5%)
Current living arrangements
  Alone88 (30.4%)72 (23.2%)31 (9.0%)47 (12.6%)16 (5.1%)
  Spouse only127 (43.9%)201 (64.8%)151 (43.9%)68 (18.2%)62 (19.9%)
  Other74 (25.6%)37 (11.9%)162 (47.1%)259 (69.3%)233 (74.9%)
Adult occupation
  Non-manual226 (78.2%)158 (51.0%)116 (33.7%)63 (16.8%)30 (9.6%)
  Service24 (8.3%)40 (12.9%)23 (6.7%)22 (5.9%)51 (16.4%)
  Agriculture2 (0.7%)18 (5.8%)5 (1.5%)37 (9.9%)32 (10.3%)
  Manual27 (9.3%)78 (25.2%)199 (57.8%)161 (43.0%)142 (45.7%)
  Housewife10 (3.5%)16 (5.2%)1 (0.3%)91 (24.3%)56 (18.0%)
Current income
  Poor51 (17.6%)109 (35.2%)36 (10.5%)191 (51.1%)30 (9.6%)
  Middle97 (33.6%)122 (39.4%)204 (59.3%)112 (29.9%)169 (54.3%)
  Upper middle61 (21.1%)62 (20.0%)82 (23.8%)50 (13.4%)91 (29.3%)
  High80 (27.7%)17 (5.5%)22 (6.4%)21 (5.6%)21 (6.8%)
Perceived income sufficiency
  Very sufficient174 (60.2%)132 (42.6%)5 (1.5%)19 (5.1%)9 (2.9%)
  Sufficient101 (34.9%)157 (50.6%)121 (35.2%)89 (23.8%)69 (22.2%)
  Not (at all) sufficient14 (4.8%)21 (6.8%)218 (63.4%)266 (71.1%)233 (74.9%)
Childhood economic adversity
  No adversities190 (65.7%)201 (64.8%)147 (42.7%)216 (57.8%)104 (33.4%)
  One adversity event73 (25.3%)92 (29.7%)89 (25.9%)108 (28.9%)91 (29.3%)
  Two adversity events24 (8.3%)15 (4.8%)75 (21.8%)28 (7.5%)70 (22.5%)
  Three adversity events2 (0.7%)2 (0.6%)33 (9.6%)22 (5.9%)46 (14.8%)
Childhood social adversity
  No adversities210 (72.7%)229 (73.9%)281 (81.7%)287 (76.7%)224 (72.0%)
  One adversity event42 (14.5%)54 (17.4%)27 (7.8%)63 (16.8%)59 (19.0%)
  Two adversity events25 (8.7%)22 (7.1%)30 (8.7%)18 (4.8%)24 (7.7%)
  Three adversity events12 (4.2%)5 (1.6%)6 (1.7%)6 (1.6%)4 (1.3%)
Smoker
  Regular14 (4.8%)19 (6.1%)43 (12.5%)37 (9.9%)25 (8.0%)
  Occasional3 (1.0%)5 (1.6%)12 (3.5%)13 (3.5%)4 (1.3%)
  Used to be141 (48.8%)169 (54.5%)81 (23.5%)147 (39.3%)138 (44.4%)
  Never131 (45.3%)117 (37.7%)208 (60.5%)177 (47.3%)144 (46.3%)
Current employment status
  Worked with remuneration43 (14.9%)39 (12.6%)8 (2.3%)58 (15.5%)37 (11.9%)
  Worked without remuneration8 (2.8%)18 (5.8%)8 (2.3%)99 (26.5%)68 (21.9%)
  Had a job, but did not work8 (2.8%)2 (0.6%)4 (1.2%)8 (2.1%)3 (1.0%)
  Retired or pensioned228 (78.9%)246 (79.4%)323 (93.9%)133 (35.6%)189 (60.8%)
  Did not work2 (0.7%)5 (1.6%)1 (0.3%)76 (20.3%)14 (4.5%)
Median(Q1, Q3)Median (Q1, Q3)Median(Q1, Q3)Median(Q1, Q3)Median(Q1, Q3)
Age (year)69(67, 71)68(67, 71)70(66, 72)69(67, 72)69 (67, 71)
Physical activity (min/week)26(9, 51)24(9, 39)27(11, 48)17(9, 39)10(4, 23)
SBP (mm Hg)135 (124, 145)134 (125, 143)144 (130, 161)133 (123, 146)146 (130, 161)
DBP (mm Hg)77(71, 83)75 (68, 81)84(75, 91)79(72, 86)78(71, 86)
Waist (cm)96(88, 107)94(87, 102)102 (95, 107)90(83, 96)100 (93, 106)
HbA1c (%)5.8 (5.5, 6.0)5.8 (5.5, 6.1)5.6 (5.3, 6.3)5.9 (5.7, 6.2)6.0 (5.6, 6.5)
Triglyceride (mg/dL)88(60, 136)122 (91, 159)130 (106, 165)140 (106, 201)135 (97, 187)
HDL (mg/dL)54(45, 66)56(46, 67)47 (41, 52)48(39, 57)52 (47, 61)
  • DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HbA1c, glycosylated haemoglobin; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; MetS, metabolic syndrome; SBP, systolic blood pressure.