Poverty is a predictor of non-communicable disease among adults in Peruvian cities.
BACKGROUND
Rapid health and nutrition transitional changes are resulting in greater prominence of non-communicable disease (NCD) in Latin America, particularly among the poor.


OBJECTIVE
The study aims to examine the extent to which NCD pxfsrevails in Peru and the socioeconomic status (SES) as a risk factor.


METHODS
Between 1998 and 2000, health surveys and clinical assessments were completed on 2337 adults in six cities, 18 to 60 years of age. Stratified by social class, multi-staged random sampling was used. Anthropometric data, blood pressure and serum samples were collected.


RESULTS
Adjusting for age, hypertension, low HDL cholesterol, high total cholesterol and diabetes was found in 47%, 40%, 21% and 17% of women and in 44%, 38%, 27% and 19% of men, respectively. Over one quarter of the population exhibited multiple risk factors, not including overweight and obesity. Across all study sites, lowest SES revealed highest burden of NCD and appeared as an independent risk factor for associated NCD indicators.


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of NCD in urban areas of Peru is not only associated with excess body weight, but also with poverty itself. The greater burden of NCD in the poorest areas of society requires a better understanding of causal determinants and may have implications in terms of public health policies and interventions.
Goldstein
Juli
J
Johns Hopkins University, School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205-2179, USA. julig4@yahoo.com
Jacoby
Enrique
E
del Aguila
Roberto
R
Lopez
Augusto
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D012923:Social Class; D014505:Urban Population