PLOS Global Public Health · 4 authors, 4 centres
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This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study compared lifestyle behaviours and illness perceptions between statin users and non-statin users in urban and semi-urban Nigeria. The odds of adopting a low-fat diet increased with perceived statin effectiveness, and urban dwellers had five times greater odds of adopting a low-fat diet than semi-urban dwellers, while three distinct relationships between statin-use and lifestyle adoption were identified qualitatively.
An explanatory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted among urban and semi-urban Nigerians to explore whether statin-use influenced adoption of healthy lifestyle choices. A structured questionnaire assessed demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, dietary and exercise behaviours, and illness perceptions among statin users and non-statin users; in-depth face-to-face interviews with eight participants further explored the relationship. Quantitatively, the odds of adopting a low-fat diet increased as perceived statin-effectiveness increased (OR = 2.33, p<0.05), while urban dwellers had five times greater odds of adopting a low-fat diet than semi-urban dwellers (p<0.01). Statin-users were more physically inactive than non-statin users. Qualitatively, three relationships emerged: a synergistic relationship, an antagonistic relationship favouring statin-use driven by perceived statin effectiveness and perceived inability to change, and an antagonistic relationship favouring lifestyle changes driven by cause-control beliefs and medication concerns. Limitations include cross-sectional design preventing causal claims, reliance on self-reported behaviours that may overestimate adherence, hospital-based recruitment introducing social desirability bias, and limited representation of men and urban dwellers in interviews.
