Background
Chronic Disease Risk Factors Study (CDRF) was a two-year (2011-2013) multi-site community study, carried out in collaboration with three partner institutions:
- Voluntary Health Services (VHS, Chennai).
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (ICDDR-Bangladesh).
- Sangath (Goa).
Purpose
- Estimate the prevalence of household and individual CDRF and their outcomes.
- Evaluate the adequacy of diagnosis and treatment of CDRF.
- Study the feasibility, acceptability and validation of diagnostic tools and electronic data capture.
- Establish teams and infrastructure for research and scale up with higher sample size and long-term follow-up.
Focused on four Chronic Disease Risk Factors
- Tobacco use
- Alcohol consumption
- Physical activity
- Diet
Measured four outcomes
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Blood pressure
- Lung function
- Visual acuity
Methodology
- Piloted and developed appropriate methods for measuring biological and epidemiological components required to assess chronic diseases and their risk factors in households.
- Tested feasibility, acceptability and scalability of conducting a wide range of measurements in the home and clinic using electronic data capture tools among rural and urban populations.
- Sample comprised of children and adult members drawn from households and community based clinics.
- Phase I: A baseline survey was carried out to estimate the prevalence of chronic diseases and distribution of risk factors.
- Phase II: Focused on developing a large cohort for comprehensive chronic disease research.
- Study was carried out at three selected sites located in the Southern periphery of Chennai. Respondents comprised 3,500 persons aged two years and above.
- A special feature of the study was the development of an electronic data capture system to monitor data quality and track progress of data collection.
Key Findings
- Alcohol dependent men are more likely to experience depression leading to difficulties in family and social life, problems at work, legal troubles and lower quality of physical health.
- Women who live with alcoholic husbands do not show any increased tendency for depression – this may be due to adaptive responses from wives to stabilize stressful situations and restore harmony in the household.
- An increasing trend in suicidal attempt by women was observed in households where men abuse alcohol.
- Work based active travel is an effective way to meet recommended physical activity levels in rural settings.
- Increasing physical activity helps reduce obesity among men and women and protects against weight gain.
Key Achievements
Completed a model Chronic Diseases Funding (CDRF) study as an initiative of PHFI/SANCD and was carried out in collaboration with three partner organizations namely VHS-Chennai, ICDDR-Bangladesh and SANGATH-Goa.
Key Publications
Contact Us
Director - Projects
CHARTERED - Projects Division
The Voluntary Health Services (VHS)
Rajiv Gandhi Salai, TTTI Post,
Taramani, Chennai – 600 113.
Email ID: williams@vhsprojects.org
For additional information on VHS Projects Division - CHARTERED, its objectives, partnerships, key activities, projects managed, overall achievements, key publications, and publications for downloading, please visit or click Here
