KASI Insight launches the FiT Score, Africa’s urban health and wellness index

KASI insight, an award-winning research and advisory firm that provides reliable data and actionable insights from Africa, today announced the launch of the FiT
Score, Africa’s first health and wellness index.

According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) will kill more than 40 million people per year with an increasing proportion of the deaths in Africa. NCDs are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors.

The main types are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes.

Modifiable behaviors, such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and the
harmful use of alcohol, all increase the risk of NCDs.

“With the rise of the middle class and increased urbanization, Africa will face new health
challenges especially around Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as cancer,
diabetes or high blood pressure. The WHO estimated that 4 million people will die from
NCDs related diseases in Africa by 2020. The FiT score provides data and intelligence
in real time regarding lifestyle behaviors and the prevalence of risk factors for NCDs.”
said Rhonda Boateng, Health researcher and co-lead Health Advisory at KASI Insight.

“The KASI Insight Health and Wellness index (FiT Score) results for Ghana reflect
exactly what we see on the ground. The report highlights the need for more awareness
about NCDs and its risk factors in Ghana. It can also help assess results of our
interventions. I will definitely subscribe to the index,” said Dr Kwabena Achamfour
Ababio from Ghana.

Prepared and released every semester, the FiT Score report covers each country’s
results. Detailed country analysis and data are available upon request.
As a leading provider of consumer insights and related data products for emerging
markets especially Africa, KASI Insight is dedicated to the ongoing development of
insights into the health of Africans, and how the right lifestyle choices can prevent or
reduce the severity and the impact of illness and disease.

The FiT score provides
supplementary evidence to help inform public health policy.
The first KASI Health Wellness index is based on findings of a KASI Insight survey
conducted between February 17th and 27th, 2017. A sample of 3,500 urban dwellers in
Africa from 18 to 65 years of age. After data cleaning, the final sample was 3,369.

Summary of the key findings (7 countries)
Amongst the 7 countries, Ghana ranks first with a score of 64 and Cameroon ranks last
with a score of 46.
? 36 percent of urban dwellers rank their health as excellent while 13 percent of
urban dwellers expect their health to get worse
? 36 percent of urban dwellers smoke at least a cigarette per day with 5 percent
smoking 30 or more cigarette per day
? 51 percent of urban dwellers drink alcohol regularly (weekly) with 7 percent
drinking 4 or more times a week
? 97 percent of urban dwellers eat fruits but only 21 percent eat the recommended
number of servings per day (3 servings per day)
? 96 percent of urban dwellers eat vegetables but only 22 percent eat the
recommended number of servings per day (3 servings per day)
? 83 percent of urban dwellers perform moderate physical activities and 51 percent
perform the recommended level of moderate activities (3 times a week)
? 77 percent of urban dwellers had visited the doctor over the past year and only
12 percent within the last month
? 70 percent of urban dwellers had medical tests recommended during their last
visit to the doctor’s office
The report from Ghana is available for free here (Link: http://selz.co/N1A5q6BbQ). To
receive reports for the other countries, please contact us.

Authors: Rhonda Boateng & Margaret Ancobiah (KASI Health Advisory)
Email: [email protected]

The post KASI Insight launches the FiT Score, Africa’s urban health and wellness index appeared first on Ultimate FM.

KASI insight, an award-winning research and advisory firm that provides reliable data and actionable insights from Africa, today announced the launch of the FiT Score, Africa’s first health and wellness index. According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) will kill more than 40 million people per year with an increasing proportion of the […]

The post KASI Insight launches the FiT Score, Africa’s urban health and wellness index appeared first on Ultimate FM.

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