Behavioural risk factors for non communicable diseases among adults in Kerala, India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular and other chronic diseases are becoming the major causes of morbidity and mortality in most of the third world countries including India, especially in the southern Indian States, like Kerala, where most of the health indicators match closely with those of any developed country. Various behavioural risk factors (BRF) namely smoking, unhealthy diet, stress at home and work place, consumption of alcohol, sedentary life style, etc., are known to be risk factors for many such diseases. The present study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of various behavioural risk factors for chronic diseases, and to identify their biosocial correlates. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done in which the data were collected from a sample of 6579 individuals of age 30 to 74 yr, randomly selected following a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling design covering Kerala State. The important factors investigated include various behavioural risk factors, presenting chronic diseases and family histories among close relatives. The data were analysed using both univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The two major risk factors observed among males were smoking and alcohol consumption. About two fifths (40%) of them were current smokers as well as current users of alcohol (41%). The median age at initiation was 21 yr for both smoking habits and for alcohol consumption. Nearly a quarter of the target population were inactive (23% males and 22% females) based on work and leisure time activities. More than one-fifth of them (23%) reported stress. Obesity was found more among females (33%) than males (17%). Low socio-economic background was found to be a high predictor (high risk group) for habit of smoking, alcohol consumption, stress and unhealthy diet. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Substantially high levels of the various behavioural risk factors among adults in Kerala suggests an urgent need for adopting healthy life style modifications among the population in general. The increased risk observed among the younger generation for behavioural risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption calls for urgent corrective steps and measures for long-term monitoring of all major risk factors as well as the major chronic disease conditions.

Type 2 diabetes in southern Kerala: variation in prevalence among geographic divisions within a region.

BACKGROUND: Numerous surveys carried out in India report the high prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Such studies have not included the population of Kerala. We estimated the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Neyyattinkara taluk, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala state. METHODS: All panchayat wards in the taluk were grouped into urban, highland, midland or coastal, and one ward from each stratum was randomly selected for the study. All households were listed and adults, 20 years or older, screened for high (> 110 mg/dl) random blood sugar (RBS) by a glucometer test. Those with high RBS were reassessed by a fasting oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), consisting of initial examination of venous blood for fasting plasma glucose (FPG) values, administration of 75 g of glucose dissolved in distilled water, and examination of venous blood for postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG) exactly 2 hours after the administration of glucose. Diabetes was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization criteria as either FPG > 139 mg/dl, or PPPG > 199 mg/dl, or both. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was diagnosed if PPPG was 140-199 mg/dl. RESULTS: Out of 4988 eligible subjects, 3899 were available for the study, a response rate of 78.2%. Response was highest in the highland area (86.2%), and lowest in the coastal area (73.6%). The overall crude prevalence rate of type 2 diabetes was 5.9%. It was highest in the urban (12.4%), followed by midland (8.1%), highland (5.8%), and coastal (2.5%) regions. Ageing was associated with greater prevalence of type 2 diabetes in all regions and both sexes. Women showed a higher prevalence in the highland and coastal areas and men in the urban and midland areas. When compared to a population with standard age structure suggested by the World Health Organization for international comparisons, prevalence in the age group 30-64 years was found to be 16.9% in the urban, 10.1% in the midland, 6.8% in the highland and 3.6% in the coastal regions, respectively. Overall age-adjusted prevalence of type 2 diabetes in 30-64-year-olds in Neyyattinkara was 9.2% among men, 7.4% among women, and 8.2% for all persons. There was not much difference in prevalence if the American Diabetes Association criteria for diagnosis were used. The prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance was fairly low in this population. Out of 229 diabetics in the sample, 175 (76.5%) were already diagnosed and under treatment, while our survey identified 54 new diabetics (23.5%). CONCLUSION: Though prevalence of type 2 diabetes is high in this population, the detection rate is also high. However, impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance are low. The reasons for this need to be elucidated.

High risk for coronary heart disease in Thiruvananthapuram city: a study of serum lipids and other risk factors.

There is a trend towards increase in the incidence of coronary heart disease among Indian population. Also, little information is available on the population distribution of serum lipid components and risk factors for coronary heart disease in Kerala, a state fast turning urban. To study the serum lipid profile and the prevalence of other risk factors for coronary heart disease in the residents of an urban housing settlement in Thiruvananthapuram, fasting blood sample was collected from 206 (64%) residents above the age of 19 years and analysed for plasma glucose and various fractions of serum lipids. A detailed questionnaire on the clinical profile and history of the subjects, and measured weights and heights was also administered. Mean serum total cholesterol was 223.7 +/- 45.3 mg/dL; 223.7 +/- 44.9 mg/dL among males and 223.7 +/- 45.8 mg/dL among females. Mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was consistently higher in females in all age groups, while mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was higher in males till the age group 40-49 after which the pattern was reversed. Mean total cholesterol in the age range 35-64, after age standardisation, was 229.4 mg/dL. Mean serum total cholesterol was higher in this sample when compared to US population, as well as north and west Indian populations. Thirty-two percent subjects were in the highest risk category with serum cholesterol exceeding 239 mg/dL, while in the US population this fraction constituted only 18 percent. Other risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle and smoking also had a high prevalence in this population. In this settlement of urban residents in Thiruvananthapuram, serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are high. The causes are likely to be dietary. Combined with the high prevalence of other risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, smoking, diabetes and lack of exercise, this situation demands a preventive programme.

Nutritional status of children in Kerala.

Nutritional status of children in two poor communities was studied using conventional anthropometric techniques. A total of 944 children, of which 246 boys and 242 girls in coastal area and 213 boys and 249 girls in the non-coastal area formed the study group. With measurements of height and weight, the prevalence of various forms of growth retardation was determined in two communities. Inspite of better food intake, the rural coastal children exhibited poorer nutritional status mainly because of environmental deprivation.