Article Text
Abstract
Objective To estimate the prevalence of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors in Kerala.
Design A community-based, cross-sectional survey.
Participants In 2016–2017 a multistage, cluster sample of 12 012 (aged 18–69 years) participants from all 14 districts of Kerala were studied.
Main outcome measures NCD risk factors as stipulated in the WHO’s approach to NCD risk factors surveillance were studied. Parameters that were studied included physical activity score, anthropometry, blood pressure (BP), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) and morning urine sample to estimate dietary intake of salt.
Results The mean age was 42.5 years (SD=14.8). Abdominal obesity was higher in women (72.6%; 95% CI 70.7 to 74.5) compared with men (39.1%; 95% CI 36.6 to 41.7), and also higher among urban (67.4%; 95% CI 65.0 to 69.7) compared with rural (58.6%; 95% CI 56.6 to 60.5) residents. Current use of tobacco and alcohol in men was 20.3% (95% CI 18.6 to 22.1) and 28.9% (95% CI 26.5 to 31.4), respectively. The estimated daily salt intake was 6.7 g/day. The overall prevalence of raised BP was 30.4% (95% CI 29.1 to 31.7) and raised FBG was 19.2% (95% CI 18.1 to 20.3). Raised BP was higher in men (34.6%; 95% CI 32.6 to 36.7) compared with women (28%; 95% CI 26.4 to 29.4), but was not different between urban (33.1%; 95% CI 31.3 to 34.9) and rural (29.8%; 95% CI 28.3 to 31.3) residents. Only 12.4% of individuals with hypertension and 15.3% of individuals with diabetes were found to have these conditions under control. Only 13.8% of urban and 18.4% of rural residents did not have any of the seven NCD risk factors studied.
Conclusion Majority of the participants had more than one NCD risk factor. There was no rural–urban difference in terms of raised BP or raised FBG prevalence in Kerala. The higher rates of NCD risk factors and lower rates of hypertension and diabetes control call for concerted primary and secondary prevention strategies to address the future burden of NCDs.
- prevalence
- NCD risk factors
- Kerala
- diabetes
- hypertension
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Footnotes
Contributors PSS, RPV and MRN contributed to the design, data analysis, data interpretation and review of the manuscript. RS contributed to the concept, data interpretation and review of the manuscript. JVT contributed to the design, data analysis, drafting and review of the manuscript. BS contributed to the design, data acquisition, data analysis, data interpretation, drafting and review of the manuscript. KS contributed to the design, data interpretation and review of the manuscript. ASP contributed to the design, data acquisition, data analysis, data interpretation and review of the manuscript. PJ contributed to the data analysis, data interpretation, drafting and review of the manuscript. KRT contributed to the concept, data acquisition, data interpretation and review of the manuscript. RVK contributed to the concept, data interpretation and review of the manuscript.
Funding Financial support for this survey was provided by a grant given by the Government of Kerala to Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (GO (Rt) No 609/2016/H&FWD, dated 24 February 2016) for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Kerala.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent for publication Not required.
Ethics approval All participants of the study have given written informed consent. The Institutional Ethics Committee of SCTIMST, Trivandrum formally approved the conduct of the study (SCT/IEC/902/MAY-2016 dated 11 May 2016).
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Data availability statement Data are available upon reasonable request.