title: Gender differences on risk factors of non-communicable diseases--a community based cross-sectional study in central Nepal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-communicable diseases are the leading causes of death globally, killing more people each year than all other causes combined. As many other developing countries, Nepal is also facing double burden of diseases. The aim of present study was to assess gender wise differences on prevalence of risk factors of non-communicable diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a community based cross sectional study which was based on WHO's STEP approach for surveillance risk factors of non-communicable diseases among males and females. Multi-staged sampling technique was used to get required study sample. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to compare the risk factors between two genders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than two-fifth of male and one-fifth of female respondents were currently using tobacco. The proportion of current alcohol users was found higher among the male respondents (28.6%) than their female counterparts (13.6%) (P<0.001). Only 35 (5.3%) of males and 13 (2.3%) of females were found consuming adequate (≥5 serving) intake of fruits per day. Study revealed that hypertension was slightly higher in male 165 (24.8%) than their female counterparts 111 (19.3%) but differences between two genders were statistically not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of present study suggest that there is high prevalence of risk factors of non-communicable diseases among both sexes in central Nepal. The finding emphasises the need for a focused national strategies targeting to tackle this modern epidemic of non-communicable diseases by incorporating primordial prevention activities to all adult population irrespective to gender.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, National Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Birgunj, Nepal.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adhikari
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, SHIATS, (Deemed To-Be-University), Allahabad, India.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, National Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Birgunj, Nepal.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Koshy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D000073296:Noncommunicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult