Key result
Community health officer CVD risk screening proves feasible, identifying ~4% at high risk.
Why the study?
The operational feasibility and usefulness of the WHO 2019 nonlaboratory CVD risk assessment chart applied by Community Health Officers in rural primary care settings was not established.
Cross-Sectional (n=216)
Yes
The WHO 2019 nonlaboratory CVD risk chart is feasible for community health officers to use in rural primary healthcare settings to stratify patient cardiovascular risk.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support WHO chart integration into rural NCD screening by community officers; hypothesis-generating for adoption and outcome trials.
Objectives: To assess the operational feasibility and usefulness of the WHO 2019 nonlaboratory cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment chart when applied by Community Health Officers (CHOs) during routine service delivery at rural Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs). Design: Cross-sectional programmatic feasibility assessment embedded within routine noncommunicable disease screening services. Setting: Two rural AAMs in Munger district, Bihar, India. Participants: Adults aged ≥40 years attend routine outpatient services during the implementation period. Main Outcome Measure: Distribution of 10-year CVD risk categories using the WHO 2019 nonlaboratory chart and assessment of operational feasibility and ease of use by CHOs. Methods: A cross-sectional programmatic feasibility assessment was conducted at two rural AAMs in Munger district, Bihar. All adults aged ≥40 years attending routine outpatient services during the implementation period were included. CHOs applied the WHO 2019 nonlaboratory CVD risk chart using parameters routinely collected under NPCDCS protocols. Results: A total of 216 adults were assessed. The mean age was 55.7 years (standard deviation 12.0) and 60.2% were female. Hypertension was identified in 28.2%, diabetes in 25.0%, and any form of tobacco use in 38.0%. Based on WHO risk categorization, 38.9% were classified as very low risk (<5%), 28.2% as low risk (5%–10%), 28.7% as moderate risk (10%–20%), and 4.2% as high risk (>20%). CHOs reported that the tool was simple to use, required minimal training, and could be easily integrated into routine service delivery without disrupting workflow. Conclusions: The WHO 2019 nonlaboratory CVD risk assessment chart is feasible and operationally suitable for use by CHOs in rural primary healthcare settings. Its integration into routine services at AAMs can support the early identification of individuals at elevated cardiovascular risk and strengthen preventive care under National NCD Programs.
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Dixit et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular risk assessment (n=216). WHO 2019 nonlaboratory cardiovascular disease risk assessment chart was evaluated on Distribution of 10-year CVD risk categories and assessment of operational feasibility and ease of use. Use of the WHO 2019 nonlaboratory CVD risk chart by Community Health Officers was feasible, identifying 38.9% as very low risk and 4.2% as high risk among 216 adults.
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