[Risk factors surveillance for non-communicable disease through telephone survey. Results in the Autonomous Community of Madrid from 1995-2003].
OBJECTIVE
To illustrate -for the first time with Spanish data- the usefulness of telephone-interview-based surveillance of non-communicable diseases risk factors for the purpose of drawing up public health policies.


METHODS
We analysed information from the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Surveillance System (Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo asociados a Enfermedades No Transmisibles- SIVFRENT) for the period 1995-2003. This system is based on monthly telephone interviews covering a representative population sample, aged 18-64 years. 18,049 interviews were conducted for the whole period. Indicators of overweight and obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diet, tobacco and alcohol consumption, preventive practices, accidents and injuries, and road safety were calculated. The time trend was estimated using average annual prevalence ratios, obtained from generalised linear models with binomial family and logarithmic link.


RESULTS
Among men, the changes of greatest magnitude corresponded to an increase in overweight and obesity, which registered a relative annual rise of 3.7%, and a decrease in dieting (-3%), high alcohol consumption (-6.1%) and non-use of safety belts (-4%). Among women, there was a marked increase in overweight and obesity (3.3%), cessation of smoking (3.1%) and recourse to mammograms (6.4%), and a decrease in dieting (-4.1%) and non-use of safety belts (-4.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Although important progress was observed in a number of indicators, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, road safety and the undertaking of preventive practices, the situation worsened in others, i.e., fundamentally the increase in overweight and obesity.
Galán
Iñaki
I
Servicio de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Pública, Consejería de Sanidad y Consumo de la Comunidad de Madrid, 28037 Madrid, España. inaki.galan@madrid.org
Rodríguez-Artalejo
Fernando
F
Tobías
Aurelio
A
Gandarillas
Ana
A
Zorrilla
Belén
B
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013030:Spain; D013689:Telephone; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data