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ANALYSIS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND PREVALENCE OF MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

Nauman Akhtar, Shahid Iqbal, Waseem Baqir

Introduction: Non-Communicable Diseases are the leading cause of deaths at global, regional and national levels. The changing lifestyles in the country have resulted in a transition in the health profile of the population. Objective of Study: The objective of the study was to analyse the socioeconomic status and prevalence of modifiable risk factors of non-communicable diseases among young adults. Study Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Allied hospital, Faisalabad during January 2019 to July 2019. The data was collected through a pre-formed questionnaire, which consisted of two parts; section one included the socio-demographic profile of the respondents and section two comprised of questions regarding the well-established modifiable risk factors for NCDs. Results: The overall prevalence of all the risk factors was found highest in the respondents belonging to the middle socioeconomic class. The prevalence of tobacco smoking turned out to be (23.3%) of the entire study sample. Nearly (37.1%) of all respondents were exposed to the risk of second hand or passive smoking. Prevalence of risk factors of low dietary intake of fruits and vegetables in all the respondents was (60%) and (24.2%) respectively. About (25.8%) of the respondents were reported to possess inadequate physical activity. Regarding BMI, (5.8%) of respondents were underweight, (29.6%) pre-obese and (9.6%) crossed the borderline for obesity. Conclusion: A high burden of risk factors of NCDs was observed in the study sample, with almost all of them being most prevalent in the middle socioeconomic class and the youngest age group under study i.e. 25-28 years of age. Variations in the distribution of risk factors based on gender and socioeconomic status argues particular focus on and over individual behaviour, personal choices and personal responsibilities to be highlighted in order to assist in targeting improvement actions. Intentional designing of environments to promote healthy behaviours holds promise to reverse the increase of lifestyle diseases.

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