A community-based noncommunicable disease prevention intervention in Punjab, India: Baseline characteristics of 11,322 adults

Abstract

Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCD) are the leading cause of death in India, with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in particular accounting for nearly 1 in 3 deaths. The prevention of key CVD risk factors – namely, diabetes and hypertension – is a public health priority. Objectives: The objective is to describe the results of large-scale, community-based NCD screening using the Government of India's Community Based Assessment Checklist (CBAC) scoring system. Materials and Methods: Trained enumerators visited each household in 10 villages in Punjab, India, between September 2019 and March 2020. Standardized methods were used to measure blood pressure, blood glucose, waist circumference, family medical history, and lifestyle behaviors. Results: A total of 11,322 adults (52.1% women; mean age 48.3 years) completed the assessment and 14.4% were classified as high-risk (CBAC >4). Those classified as high-risk were significantly more likely to have hypertension (46.0% vs. 20.6% among low-risk, P 30 years for NCDs, the results of this study are directly translatable.

Keywords

• developing country
• diabetes
• health services
• health survey
• hypertension
• south asia