A Study of Hypertension and Obesity Among the Adult Population in a Rural Area Near NCT Delhi.

ABSTRACT

Background: The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India is substantial and is estimated to increase, in rural areas too. Objectives: To study hypertension and obesity among the adult population in a rural area near Delhi. Materials/methods: A complete enumeration of the total population was done in Mandola village of Uttar Pradesh by conducting a house to house survey. After collecting information based data, the height, weight and blood pressure of all available family members were recorded as per standard procedures. Results: Data was collected from a total of 1124 persons. While there were 15.5% current smokers, 4.4% were consumers of alcohol. The prevalence of current smoking was 35.4% among the males and 3.3% among the females. It was observed that 20.2% of the males and 27.2% females were obese. Among the females, obesity was more likely among the housewives (p<0.001) and those of older age (p<0.001). The proportion of hypertensives was 16.0% in males and 13.0% in females. Among the males, hypertension was more common among the smokers than non-smokers (18.5% vs. 14.5%) and among current alcohol users than non-users (22.4% vs. 15.1%). We found several subjects, of both genders, who had both hypertension as well as obesity. Conclusion: The present study has shown that the burden of NCDs such as hypertension and obesity is quite substantial in a rural population.