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Impact of Cardiovascular Risk Screening on Cardiovascular Risk Detection among Adults in Nigeria

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are a major public health concern and an important cause of illness, disability, and premature mortality in Nigeria. Risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, unhealthy blood lipid levels, obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco use, unhealthy dietary practices, and harmful alcohol consumption may increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. Many adults may remain unaware of their cardiovascular risk status because routine screening and preventive health assessments are not consistently utilized. Cardiovascular risk screening provides an opportunity to identify modifiable risk factors and individuals at increased risk, thereby facilitating early counselling, further clinical assessment, and appropriate preventive interventions. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of cardiovascular risk screening on cardiovascular risk detection among adults in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Ecological Model, and Health Systems Framework. The Health Belief Model explains how adults' perceptions of susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, perceived severity, perceived benefits of screening, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence participation in cardiovascular risk screening. The Social Ecological Model emphasizes the influence of individual, interpersonal, community, healthcare, and environmental factors on access to and utilization of preventive cardiovascular services. The Health Systems Framework highlights the importance of service delivery, healthcare workforce, health information, medical equipment and technologies, financing, accessibility, referral systems, and continuity of care in effective cardiovascular risk screening. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how cardiovascular risk screening may influence cardiovascular risk detection among adults in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise adults aged 18 years and above residing in selected urban and rural communities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, communities, households, and eligible adults. Cardiovascular risk screening will be assessed using indicators such as blood pressure measurement, body mass index assessment, waist circumference measurement, blood glucose assessment, lipid profile testing where available, assessment of tobacco and alcohol use, physical activity assessment, dietary risk assessment, family history, and other relevant cardiovascular risk factors. Cardiovascular risk detection will be assessed using indicators such as newly identified hypertension, elevated blood glucose, abnormal lipid levels, overweight or obesity, abdominal obesity, tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy dietary patterns, multiple cardiovascular risk factors, and classification of individuals according to appropriate cardiovascular risk assessment tools where applicable. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized screening forms, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure records, laboratory results where available, and relevant health screening records. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, screening findings, and cardiovascular risk profiles. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the impact of cardiovascular risk screening on cardiovascular risk detection. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, cardiovascular risk detection rates before and after implementation of screening activities may be compared to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that cardiovascular risk screening has a significant positive impact on cardiovascular risk detection among adults in Nigeria. Adults who participate in cardiovascular risk screening are expected to have a greater likelihood of previously undetected cardiovascular risk factors being identified than adults without access to routine screening. Screening may facilitate early identification of hypertension, abnormal blood glucose, unhealthy lipid levels, obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and other modifiable risk factors. Early identification may provide opportunities for health education, lifestyle modification, medical evaluation, treatment, referral, and continued monitoring. Community-based screening may also reduce geographical and financial barriers to preventive healthcare and increase awareness of personal cardiovascular risk. However, inadequate screening equipment, limited availability of trained healthcare personnel, financial barriers to laboratory testing, low awareness, poor follow-up systems, and limited access to appropriate treatment may reduce the effectiveness of cardiovascular risk screening programmes. The study therefore expects accessible, comprehensive, properly conducted, and well-integrated cardiovascular risk screening to contribute significantly to improved detection and management of cardiovascular risk among adults in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on cardiovascular risk screening, cardiovascular risk detection, cardiovascular disease prevention, hypertension screening, diabetes screening, lipid assessment, obesity screening, preventive healthcare, community health services, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, state ministries of health, primary healthcare centres, hospitals, healthcare professionals, community health workers, public health practitioners, cardiovascular health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening cardiovascular disease prevention. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for expanding cardiovascular risk screening services, improving access to screening equipment and trained healthcare personnel, integrating cardiovascular risk assessment into primary healthcare services, strengthening referral and follow-up systems, increasing public awareness of cardiovascular risk factors, and improving access to appropriate preventive and treatment services across Nigeria.

Keywords: Cardiovascular risk screening, cardiovascular risk detection, cardiovascular disease prevention, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, obesity, preventive healthcare, adults, Nigeria, public health.