ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic respiratory diseases are becoming a challenge to public health due to its high morbidity and mortality. Most of these diseases are preceded by variable periods of chronic respiratory symptoms. If chronic respiratory symptoms can be diagnosed and managed properly and timely, we can reduce the incidence and complication of chronic respiratory diseases.Methods: A community based cross sectional survey was conducted in 20 electoral wards of Calicut corporation of Northern Kerala among the adult resident population of 20-70 years to assess the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms such as chronic cough, phlegm, wheezing, breathlessness and nasal allergy and the factors associated with these chronic symptoms. The information was collected from 1384 eligible subjects selected by cluster sampling using British research council respiratory questionnaire.Results: About 9.2% (n=95) of study population had at-least one of the chronic respiratory symptoms. 1.8% (n=19) had all the chronic respiratory symptoms. Prevalence of various chronic respiratory symptoms was chronic cough (8.7%), Phlegm (14.3%), wheezing (8.5%), breathlessness (2.2%) and nasal allergy (14.5%). Advancing age, current smoking, family history and past history of various respiratory diseases are significantly associated with the development of chronic respiratory symptoms. Female gender, longer duration of stay in Calicut corporation and regular alcoholism were significantly associated with chronic phlegm in the study population. Wheezing, breathlessness and chronic nasal allergy was significantly higher among lower socio economic status.Conclusions: Prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms is high among the urban population of Northern Kerala. Older age group, smoking, past and family history of respiratory diseases are the major risk factors associated with these respiratory symptoms.
ABSTRACT
Background: Raised blood pressure is the leading cause of death and disability world-wide. Though hypertension is a problem of adults the aetiologic process and risk behaviours start early in life. The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of prehypertension and hypertension among adolescents from high schools in a rural area of Kerala, India. Methods: A cross sectional analytical study was carried out in 1000 adolescents from randomly selected Government, Aided and Unaided high schools of Ettumanoor, Kerala proportionate to sampling frame using WHO designed Global School based student Health Survey (GSHS) questionnaire. Anthropometry and blood pressure recordings were done by trained team members. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 21. Chi-square test was used to find out the association between categorical variables. Significant variables were entered into logistic regression model to find out Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR). Results: Out of 1000 study subjects, 409(40.9%) were males and 591(59.1%) were females. Overall prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension was 24.5% (males-30.5%, females-20.3%) and 0.6% (males-0.98%, females-0.34%) respectively. Male sex (AOR-1.67 95%CI-1.23-2.28), low socio-economic status (AOR-1.55 95%CI-1.15-2.11), overweight/obese (AOR-5.7 95%CI- 2.4-13.6), low fruit consumption (AOR-2.02 95% CI-1.499-2.7) and high soft drink consumption (AOR-2.21 95%CI- 1.446-3.39) were the significant risk factors for prehypertension and hypertension. Conclusion: Male sex, Low socio-economic status, obesity/overweight, low fruit and high soft drink consumption are the significant determinants of Pre hypertension and hypertension among adolescents. The findings may be used in developing messages to provide awareness of dangers of raised blood pressure among adolescents and its behavioural determinants.