title: Socio-economic distribution of cardiovascular risk factors and knowledge in rural India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the prevalence, screening and knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) by socio-economic position (SEP) in rural India.
  
  
  METHODS
  An age- and sex-stratified random sample of 4535 adults was recruited from rural Andhra Pradesh and a questionnaire was administered to assess prevalence, screening and knowledge of CVRFs and record recent attempts to modify behaviour. Education, income and occupation were used to measure SEP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lower fruit intake and higher tobacco and alcohol use were found in those with lower SEP. Overweight, physical inactivity, diabetes, hypertension, family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and previous CVD (men only) were greater in higher SEP participants. Lower SEP participants had less blood pressure, glucose or cholesterol screening and less knowledge of nine CVRFs. Regardless of SEP, participants knowledgeable of the harms of a CVRF were more likely to have attempted to modify behaviour. For example, knowledge of benefits of smoking cessation was associated with an increased odds ratio (OR) for attempting to quit: in educated participants-OR 3.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.10-6.42; in participants with no education-OR 3.98, 95% CI 2.27-6.97.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some biological CVRFs were worse in higher SEP participants while some behavioural risk factors were worse in lower SEP participants. Lower SEP participants had less CVRF screening and knowledge of CVRFs. Those with knowledge of CVRFs were more likely to make healthy behavioural changes. Our findings suggest equipping rural Indians with knowledge about CVRFs may ameliorate projected future increases in CVD.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: M Justin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zaman
authors.forename: Anushka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Graham S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Hillis
authors.forename: P Krishnam
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Raju
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neal
authors.forename: Clara K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors