title: Prevalence of cardiovascular health risk behaviors in a remote rural community of Sindhuli district, Nepal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is emerging as a public health menace among low and middle income countries. It has particularly affected the poorest. However, there is paucity of information about CVD risk factors profile among Nepalese rural communities where the majority of people live in poverty. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of cardiovascular health risk behaviors in an outback community of Nepal.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in Tinkanya Village Development Committee (VDC), Sindhuli between January and March, 2014. Total 406 participants of age 20 to 50 years were selected randomly. Data were collected using WHO-NCD STEPwise approach questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS V.16.0 and R i386 2.15.3 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of participants was 36.2 ± 9 years. Majority of participants (76.3%) were from lower socio-economic class, Adibasi/Janajati (63.1%), and without formal schooling (46.3%). Smoking was present in 28.6%, alcohol consumption in 47.8%, insufficient fruits and vegetables intake in 96.6%, insufficient physical activity in 48.8%; 25.6% had high waist circumference, 37.4% had overweight and obesity. Average daily salt intake per capita was 14.4 grams ±4.89 grams. Hypertension was detected in 12.3%. It had an inverse relationship with education and socio-economic status. In binary logistic regression analysis, age, smoking, body mass index (BMI) and daily salt intake were identified as significant predictors of hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Present study showed high prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, daily salt intake, overweight and obesity and hypertension among remote rural population suggesting higher risk for developing CVD in future. Nepalese rural communities, therefore, are in need of population-wide comprehensive intervention approaches for reducing CVD health risk behaviors.
authors: Nepal Family Development Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal. raja.dhungana@gmail.com.
authors: Raja Ram
authors: RR
authors: Dhungana
authors: Surya
authors: S
authors: Devkota
authors: Mahesh Kumar
authors: MK
authors: Khanal
authors: Yadav
authors: Y
authors: Gurung
authors: Rajendra Kumar
authors: RK
authors: Giri
authors: Ram Krishna
authors: RK
authors: Parajuli
authors: Anup
authors: A
authors: Adhikari
authors: Suira
authors: S
authors: Joshi
authors: Barsha
authors: B
authors: Hada
authors: Arun
authors: A
authors: Shayami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary