Study of Prevalence of Non Communicable Disease Risk Factors Using WHO-STEPs Approach in a Slum Locality of Bhopal City, Madhya Pradesh

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are chronic conditions that progress slowly and are rarely completely curable .These diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, pose an increasing public health challenge in India, especially due to changes in lifestyles, behaviors and the physical and social environments in cities1.They are mainly caused by preventable behavioral risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, and insufficient physical exercise3.It is well known that a lot of diseases can be prevented by altering the life style and habits of people. This study was undertaken with the objective of studying the prevalence of risk factors for NCDs in the Anna Nagar slum locality of Bhopal city, Madhya Pradesh. Material & Methods: The study was conducted on the population of Anna nagar slums. The sample size was 180(calculated using the prevalence data of ICMR on NCDs) but 260 was covered. The household were selected using systematic random sampling and individuals from the houses were selected using KISH method as used in WHO STEPS approach. WHO STEPS questionnaire was used to collect data. Physical measurements were taken as per standard WHO protocol. Data were entered in MS-EXCEL and analysis was done using EPI INFO. Results: In the population, male members were 53% and females were 47% respectively. Mean age was 43.67±11.3 yrs.80% had not received any formal education.31% people had history of alcohol consumption and 16% of tobacco consumption. Only 36.2% participants had normal BMI. 35.8% were obese, 17.3% were overweight and 10.8% were underweight. Obesity was more in females as compared to males. Blood pressure was found to be elevated in 18.1% participants, HTN1 in 10.4% and HTN2 in 31.5% participants. 40% participants had normal blood pressure.Conclusion: The major population was illiterate. The risk factors like alcohol consumption and smoking was very prevalent and is largely attributed to the low awareness of people regarding risk factors