Abstract

Back ground: In both developed and underdeveloped countries, the prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases is gaining more significance among the adult population. The majority of the risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke are behavioral in nature and, thus, preventable.
Objective: To find out the prevalence of risk factors of CVD in a rural area in Kottayam, Kerala, India.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in wards 5 and 6 of Arpookara Panchayat. The sample size of the study was 328. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview schedule regarding various lifestyle 2 risk factors. Analysis was done using the software SPSS, version 16.0. For testing association, c -test was used; P value for level of significance was <0.05. Result: Total number of subjects in the study was 331. Of the total population, the prevalence of current smokers was 17.2% and ex-smokers 9.1%. The prevalence of current alcoholics, ex-alcoholics, and social consumption of alcohol were 41.4%, 13.1%, and 24.1% of the men, respectively. Of the total study population, 18.4% was diabetic patients, and 77.3% of the population were not doing any kind of exercise other than their daily routine. The waist–hip ratio was unfavoura- ble in 23.2% of the population, and 23.6% of population revealed a waist circumference that put them at-risk for CVD. Overweight and obesity were seen in 24.2% and 7.3% of the population, respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of risk factors of CVD is unacceptably high among even the rural population.