Prevalence and gender differences in risk factors for noncommunicable diseases in an urban village of Delhi, India: A community-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: About 60% of all deaths in India occur due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their complications. Early screening for the risk factors can result in a significant reduction in morbidity & mortality. The study was conducted to assess the risk factors for common NCD in an urban village of Delhi, India. Material & Methods: A house-to-house survey was conducted in the study area and risk assessment was done for apparently healthy individuals ≥30 years of age using Community-Based Assessment Checklist by the National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Stroke. Participants with a total risk score of more than four were categorized as being at risk of development of NCDs. Descriptive analysis was performed and Chi-square was used to find out gender-related differences in risk factor scores. Results: A total of 478 adults participated in the study with a mean age of 40.3 ± 9.7 years and 54.6% were females. Majority (93.1%) of study participants had at least one risk factor. Approximately 17.2% of study participants had a total risk score of more than 4. There was a high prevalence of modifiable risk factors with more males being tobacco (P < 0.001) and alcohol users (P < 0.001) and more females being inactive (P = 0.007) and having abdominal obesity (P < 0.001). Conclusion: One in six study participants with age ≥30 years was found to be at high risk of having NCDs. This calls for heightened screening activities in this age group along with gender-specific approaches to address the risk factors.

Keywords

• noncommunicable diseases
• risk factors
• screening
• urban village