lntroduction: Metabolic abnormalities increase with the epidemiological transition in Sub-Saharan African area.
Objective: To report the sex-specific prevalence of metabolic abnormalities in Burkinabè adults by the trend of urbanization
and age, using the national baseline data. Methods: Data of 4365 male/female participants to the 2013 Burkina Faso Stepwise
approach to surveillance survey were analysed, including sociodemographic parameters (with four age-groups of 25-34; 35-44;
45-54 and 55-64 years). The urbanization trend was the four categories derived from the quartiles of the urbanization rates of
the 13 Burkinabè regions. The metabolic abnormalities were defined using the International Diabetes Federation criteria
(raised waist circumference [WC], blood pressure [BP], fasting blood glucose [FBG] and low high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol [HDL-C]). Results: Between quartiles, the sex-specific prevalences (%) of abnormalities significantly differed and
the extremes were: 71.1-81.2 in men(♂), 75.9-81.2 in women(♀) for low HDL-C; 32.8-48.2(♂), 21.5-51.6(♀) for elevated BP; 3.4-
7.3(♂), 30.8-45.5(♀) for high WC; 6.2-11.0(♂), 6.7-14.2(♀) for high FBG; 2.8-7.3(♂), 9.6-24.0(♀) for participants who cumulated at
least three abnormalities; and the extreme means in cumulative number of abnormalities were 1.3-1.5(♂), 1.4-1.9(♀). Between
the four age-groups, sex-specific prevalences significantly differed and the extremes were: 71.9-81.6(♂), 71.8-83.1(♀) for low
HDL-C; 32.3-49.1(♂), 23.8-30.3(♀) for elevated BP; 2.0-14.0(♂), 24.8-65.3(♀) for high WC; 6.4-13.0(♂), 5.5-10.4(♀) for high FBG;
2.5-12.0(♂), 8.5-25.8(♀) for individuals who cumulated at least three abnormalities; and the extreme means in number of
abnormalities were 1.2-1.4(♂), 1.4-1.9(♀). Conclusion: The low HDL-C was very widespread in the general population in
Burkina Faso, substantially increasing the risk of carrying several abnormalities, which worsened with the process of
urbanization and older age, and women more severely affected.

Sex-Specific Prevalence Metabolic Syndrome Components Abnormalities Urbanization Trend Age