An Exploratory Study of the Non-communicable Disease Risk Factors in an Endogamous Caste Population of Reddys from Tirupati, India

Abstract

Surveillance of risk factors may help in devising interventions for reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Most of the studies on NCD risk factors were conducted without taking into consideration the social units of India, like castes and tribes. In this study, an attempt was made to study the NCD risk factors in an endogamous Reddy caste population of Tirupati, India. A sample of 105 adult women and 94 adult men were recruited for this study from the urban areas of Tirupati. Data on demographic, socio-economic, behavioural, anthropometric, blood pressure and biochemical variables were obtained. Significantly higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes ( p = 0.00), waist-hip ratio-based central obesity ( p = 0.00), high total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ( p = 0.00), high waist-height ratio ( p = 0.00), high per cent body fat ( p = 0.000) and high triglycerides ( p = 0.04) were observed in men, whereas women showed a significantly higher prevalence of low ( p = 0.01) and isolated HDL cholesterol ( p = 0.01). Significantly increased prevalence of WHR-based central obesity ( p = 0.017), prediabetes ( p = 0.037), metabolic syndrome ( p = 0.046) and high total cholesterol ( p = 0.047) and decreased prevalence of isolated low HDL cholesterol ( p = 0.034) in women with age was observed.