Awareness and Behavioural Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Diseases among Adults in the Kintampo North Municipality, Ghana: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) constitute a growing and largely preventable public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa, driven by modifiable behavioural risk factors including physical inactivity, unhealthy dietary practices, and tobacco use. In Ghana, these conditions account for an increasing share of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditure, yet population-level awareness and risk factor data remain sparse for many district settings outside major urban centres. This study assessed the level of NCD awareness and the prevalence of key behavioural risk factors among adult residents of the Kintampo North Municipality in the Bono East Region of Ghana.
Methods
A quantitative, community-based cross-sectional design was employed. A total of 428 adult residents were recruited across three communities, Kintampo, Babatorkuma, and Busuama using multistage simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered guide incorporating validated instruments: the WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) for physical activity assessment, and WHO-standardized items for dietary practices and tobacco use. Awareness of NCDs was assessed using a composite score derived from eight items. An NCD risk profile score was computed for each participant from the behavioural data. Chi-square tests of association (χ²) examined relationships between each risk factor and the overall NCD risk profile. Data were analyzed using Epi Info Version 7.
Results
The sample was predominantly young (67.29% aged 18–41 years), male (71.03%), and had at least basic or secondary education (80.85%). NCD awareness was moderate: 42.76% of respondents demonstrated moderate knowledge and 21.50% high awareness, while 35.74% had low awareness. Awareness was significantly associated with NCD risk profile (χ² = 110.66, df = 4, p < 0.001), with low-awareness respondents showing the highest proportion of high-risk profiles (32.03%) compared with 3.26% among high-awareness respondents. More than half of respondents (52.34%) reported high physical activity levels, largely attributable to occupational and transport-related activity; however, 21.26% were classified as physically inactive. Physical activity was significantly associated with NCD risk profile (χ² = 55.30, df = 4, p < 0.001). Unhealthy dietary practices were prevalent among 50.47% of respondents and significantly associated with NCD risk (χ² = 25.24, df = 2, p < 0.001). Current tobacco use was reported by 31.78% of respondents and demonstrated the strongest association with high NCD risk profile (χ² = 225.56, df = 2, p < 0.001), with 56.62% of tobacco users classified in the high-risk category.
Conclusions
Adult residents of Kintampo North Municipality face a substantial and multifactorial NCD risk burden, driven by a critical gap between moderate disease awareness and the translation of that awareness into health-protective behaviour, particularly with respect to dietary practices and tobacco cessation. All four behavioural risk factors examined were significantly associated with NCD risk profiles. Intensified, community-embedded health education interventions, tobacco control enforcement, nutrition promotion programmes, and supportive environments for active lifestyles are urgently required in this and comparable Ghanaian district settings..

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