A cross sectional study on "Behavioral risk factors of cardiovascular disease among adolescents of secondary level school in a sub-metropolitan city of Nepal"

BackgroundCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death and disability globally, where one-third of adolescents are affected. There is plenty of evidence that behavioral factors like physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, smoking, and alcohol use are major risks associated with CVDs among adolescents/school-going children. Objective(s)The main aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of behavioral risk factors of cardiovascular disease among adolescents of secondary-level schools in Tulsipur Sub Metropolitan City, Nepal. MethodsIt was a school-based cross-sectional study among 361 adolescents of grades 11 and 12 between the ages of 16 and 19. The school was selected by using a stratified proportionate sampling method. Data were collected through a self-administered structured and validated questionnaire containing socio-demographic characteristics, behavioral risk factors of CVDs and respective parents information. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and analytical statistics. ResultsThe most prevalent behavioral risk factor was consumption of calorie drinks (99%); followed by sedentary behavior (60%), insufficient fruit and vegetable intake (57%), physical inactivity (35%), intake of processed food high in salt (33%), refined vegetable oil use in meal preparation (19%) and added salt intake (15.5%). Similarly, the prevalence of current smoking tobacco, alcohol use and smokeless tobacco use was 12%, 10% and 9%, respectively. Mother education, ethnicity, education system were associated factors of majority of behavioral risk factors of CVDs among adolescents. Mother education, parents smoking habit and parents smokeless tobacco use were associated factors of current tobacco smoking. Parents smokeless tobacco use and parents alcohol use were associated factors of current alcohol use. ConclusionsThis study provided evidence of high prevalence of CVD risk factors among adolescents in Nepal. It demands an urgent need to effectively design appropriate interventions in household and school settings to address the risk factors at the municipal level of Nepal.