Non-communicable disease risk factors and prevalence within Thaha, Makwanpur, Nepal: a cross-sectional study

Background Nepal is currently in a transition from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as the major public health concern. However, many areas of the country are still lacking baseline information on the prevalence of NCDs and the underlying risk factors. Methods Inhabitants of five wards in Thaha Municipality, Nepal, participated in a door-to-door survey. The surveying took place between November and December 2018 and included 1,346 households (83% of registered households in this area), with 2,903 individual responses. Alongside the survey, we also performed a number of clinically relevant measurements, including blood pressure, heart rate, waist-to-hip ratio, oxygen saturation levels (SpO2), respiration rate, and blood glucose. The study was aligned with the WHO STEPs surveillance protocol. Results Respiratory disease prevalence in Thaha was 4.3% overall (men, 5.3%; women, 3.6%) with an at-risk prevalence of 26%. High rates of respiratory disease may be related to a majority (56%) of surveyed households cooking with firewood, and 29.7% of households lacking any ventilation for smoke when cooking. Overall prevalence of Stage 2 Hypertension was 26.3%, with a 33% prevalence found among Thaha men aged 18 to 45. Obesity prevalence among young women was notable, with 25.2% of women aged 18 to 30 in an at-risk category and an additional 34.8% in a high risk category. A majority of households (57%) reported at least one family member suffering from joint pain that interfered with work. Conclusions This study demonstrates the feasibility of a cost-efficient population survey establishing NCD baseline prevalence in the Makwanpur District of Nepal. The methodology is applicable to governmental and non-governmental agencies assessing populations in rural areas within middle and low income countries and can be executed in a relatively large geographic area. The data collected reveals many previously undetected NCD health concerns in the Makwanpur District of Nepal and can serve as an important tool for the allocation of health resources serving this district in the future.