Physiological Risk Markers for Lifestyle Diseases in Urban Youth Populations

The rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among teenagers and young adults is a developing public health issue, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions such as Kashmir. This cross-sectional study investigated the occurrence and behavioral associations of physiological and biochemical risk markers among 352 urban youth aged 18 to 22 years. Findings revealed that 22.4% of participants were overweight and 7.1% were obese, while 25.6% exhibited prehypertension. 64.8% of participants exhibited at least one physiological risk marker, such as elevated BMI, WHR, or prehypertension, while 22.4% showed clustering of two or more. Logistic regression identified screen time >4 hours/day (OR = 2.36), low physical activity, and fast-food consumption as independent predictors of overweight, prehypertension. These results underscore the urgent requirement of early detection and precise interventions among Kashmiri youth to mitigate long-term health risks. Public health policies should integrate structured physical activity, nutritional literacy, and behavioural counselling in adolescent programs to address these emerging threats.