Non-communicable diseases in the Asia-Pacific region: Prevalence, risk factors and community-based prevention

• Authors: Wah-Yun Low , Yew-Kong Lee , Alexander L. Samy

Abstracts

EN

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) lead to substantial mortality and morbidity worldwide. The most common NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. With the rapid increase in NCD-related deaths in Asia Pacific countries, NCDs are now the major cause of deaths and disease burden in the region. NCDs hamper achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). People in the low socio-economic group are most affected by NCDs as they have poor access to policies, legislations, regulations and healthcare services meant to combat NCDs. This results in loss of productivity by a decreasing labor force with implications at the macroeconomic level. The 3 major NCDs in the Asia Pacific region are CVDs, cancer and diabetes due to the increasing loss of disability adjusted life years (DALYs). The 4 major behavioral risk factors for NCDs are: tobacco use, alcohol consumption, inadequate physical activity and unhealthy diet. The underlying risk factors are urbanization, globalization, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and hypertension. Strategies to combat NCDs in the Asia Pacific region are as follows: population-based dietary salt reduction, health education, psychological interventions, i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational-interviewing, taxation and bans on tobacco-related advertisements, implementing smoke-free zones and surveillance by the World Health Organization. Control measures must focus on prevention and strengthening inter-sectorial collaboration.

Keywords

EN

non-communicable diseases (NCDs); urbanization; hypertension; obesity; community-based prevention; inter-sectorial collaboration

• Publisher: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. dra Jerzego Nofera w Łodzi
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 20-26

Dates

published

2015

Contributors

author

Wah-Yun Low

• University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Faculty of Medicine)

author

Yew-Kong Lee

• University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Faculty of Medicine)

author

Alexander L. Samy

• University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Faculty of Medicine)

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/s13382-014-0326-0

Biblioteka Nauki

2177003