Prevalence and associated factors for gallstone disease in patients with upper abdominal pain attending Mulago hospital general surgical units.

Abstract

Title: Prevalence and associated factors of gallstone disease in patients with upper abdominal pain attending Mulago Hospital general surgical units There is an upsurge in gallstone disease in Africa and the associated factors may be different from the typical Caucasian model. No studies on the prevalence and associated factors for gallstone disease, in patients with upper abdominal pain, attending Mulago Hospital general surgical units have been done. This study was aimed at identifying the prevalence of, and associated factors of, gallstone disease in patients with upper abdominal pain attending Mulago hospital general surgical units. Methods: The study was a cross sectional study. Patients with non traumatic upper abdominal pain were identified and the following variables were investigated: age, sex, occupation, parity, tobacco, alcohol and contraceptive use weight, height, waist and hip circumference, splenomegally, serum triglycerides and HDL, LDL and total cholesterol levels. Categorical variables were tested for associations with the Chi square test. Continuous variables were tested using independent t -test for differences in the means. A P value < 0.05 was deemed significant. Results: The prevalence of gallstone disease in patients with non-traumatic upper abdominal pain was 13.9%. The mean BMI, waist circumference, waist hip ratio and LDL levels were significantly higher in women with gallstones. Waist circumference > 88cmwas independently associated with gallstones among women. Mean LDL levels were significantly higher in men with gallstones. There was no association between patients with gallstones and age, sex, parity, family history of gallstones, tobacco alcohol and contraceptive use. Recommendations: gallstone disease occurs frequently in patients with nontraumatic upper abdominal pain and waist circumference greater than 88cm and ultrasonography should be done to rule out cholelithiasis in these patients. Overweight patients and females with a waist circumference greater than 88 cm or a waist hip ratio greater than 0.9 should be advised to lose weight. Studies are required to identify ideal cutoffs for weight BMI waist and hip circumference in patients with upper abdominal pain attending Mulago hospital general surgical units.