Regional Variations in the Prevalence of Risk Factors and Non-Communicable Diseases in Papua New Guinea: A Scoping Review

Bobby Porykali (), Ryley Gronau, Phyllis Tran, Juliana Chen, Margaret Allman-Farinelli, Anna Rangan, Shelina Porykali, Robin Oge, Hans Nogua and Alyse Davies
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Bobby Porykali: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
Ryley Gronau: Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Phyllis Tran: Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Juliana Chen: Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Margaret Allman-Farinelli: Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Anna Rangan: Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Shelina Porykali: School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
Robin Oge: National Capital District Provincial Health Authority, Port Moresby 121, Papua New Guinea
Hans Nogua: Port Moresby General Hospital, National Capital District, Port Moresby 121, Papua New Guinea
Alyse Davies: Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: Often referred to as ‘the last unknown’, Papua New Guinea’s largely unexplored environments across its four distinct regions, the Highlands, New Guinea Islands, Momase, and Southern, exhibit remarkable diversity. Understanding this diversity is significant in contextualising the risk factors associated with developing non-communicable diseases. This review aims to map and summarise the literature to provide region-specific prevalence data for risk factors and non-communicable diseases. Four databases and grey literature were searched. Two reviewers completed the screening and data extraction. Twenty-one studies were included, with five reporting the data by region and the remaining reporting the data nationwide. Six studies reported on risk factors, thirteen reported on non-communicable diseases, and two reported on risk factors and non-communicable diseases. The Southern region, which includes the Capital, Port Moresby, reported the highest prevalence for most risk factors: anthropometric (overweight, obesity, and waist circumference), lifestyle (betel nut, alcohol, unhealthy diet, and stress), and biochemical (cholesterol, triglycerides, HbA1c, and metabolic syndrome). The findings of this review highlight the limited evidence base for region-specific risk factor data and the lack of objective diagnosis of non-communicable diseases. There were variations in the prevalence of specific risk factors by region; however, the Southern region stands out as requiring immediate attention for health promotion program interventions.

Keywords: Papua New Guinea; Western Pacific region; Healthy Islands; non-communicable diseases; NCDs; modifiable behavioural risk factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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