TY - JOUR
T1 - The burden of non-communicable disease risk factors in a low-income population
T2 - Findings from a cross-sectional study highlighting the prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and metabolic disorders in the south of Quito, Ecuador
AU - Morales-Garzón, Sergio
AU - Vasconez, Juan
AU - Delgado, Jessica Pinto
AU - Barrera-Guarderas, Francisco
AU - Chilet-Rosell, Elisa
AU - Puig-García, Marta
AU - Peralta, Andrés
AU - Rivadeneira Guerrero, María Fernanda
AU - Torres-Castillo, Ana Lucía
AU - Anne Parker, Lucy
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Morales-Garzón et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2025/9
Y1 - 2025/9
N2 - Results One-third of participants were obese (33.2% overall, 148 women, 38,7%, and 41 men, 22%), and more than half had a raised waist circumference (56.8%, N = 322). Hypertension affected 26.9% of participants (63 men, 33% and 90 women, 24%). Hyperglycaemia affected 7.9% (N = 45) of participants and increased with age and peaked at 22% among women over 70. More than half of the participants presented hypercholesterolemia (317 individuals, 56.2%). Low consumption of fruit and vegetables, high salt consumption and high sugar consumption were common in all population groups (88.4%, N = 580, 33.2%. N = 218 and 72.4%, N = 475, respectively). Conclusions The critical prevalence of NCD risk factors in this low-income urban district of Quito, alongside similar trends observed in other settings across Latin America, underscores the need for ecological public health strategies to create healthy environments and promote healthier behaviours. Gender-sensitive approaches may be useful to address differences between sexes.Objectives We describe the prevalence of Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) risk factors in a low-income health district in the South of Quito, Ecuador. Study design We conducted a cross-sectional study between November 2020 and October 2021 Methods We used multi-stage cluster sampling to select 656 of población total adult residents of 17D06 health district, enabling a prevalence estimation with at least ±5.73% absolute precision. We collected socio-demographic information and behavioural risk factors using the expanded WHO STEPwise approach to NCD surveillance. We measured height, weight, and blood pressure, and collected blood samples to assess glucose levels, lipid profiles, and renal function. We estimated the prevalence of behavioural and metabolic NCD risk factors by sex and age groups (18–44, 45–69, and >70).
AB - Results One-third of participants were obese (33.2% overall, 148 women, 38,7%, and 41 men, 22%), and more than half had a raised waist circumference (56.8%, N = 322). Hypertension affected 26.9% of participants (63 men, 33% and 90 women, 24%). Hyperglycaemia affected 7.9% (N = 45) of participants and increased with age and peaked at 22% among women over 70. More than half of the participants presented hypercholesterolemia (317 individuals, 56.2%). Low consumption of fruit and vegetables, high salt consumption and high sugar consumption were common in all population groups (88.4%, N = 580, 33.2%. N = 218 and 72.4%, N = 475, respectively). Conclusions The critical prevalence of NCD risk factors in this low-income urban district of Quito, alongside similar trends observed in other settings across Latin America, underscores the need for ecological public health strategies to create healthy environments and promote healthier behaviours. Gender-sensitive approaches may be useful to address differences between sexes.Objectives We describe the prevalence of Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) risk factors in a low-income health district in the South of Quito, Ecuador. Study design We conducted a cross-sectional study between November 2020 and October 2021 Methods We used multi-stage cluster sampling to select 656 of población total adult residents of 17D06 health district, enabling a prevalence estimation with at least ±5.73% absolute precision. We collected socio-demographic information and behavioural risk factors using the expanded WHO STEPwise approach to NCD surveillance. We measured height, weight, and blood pressure, and collected blood samples to assess glucose levels, lipid profiles, and renal function. We estimated the prevalence of behavioural and metabolic NCD risk factors by sex and age groups (18–44, 45–69, and >70).
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105016674547
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0332159
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0332159
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 40961132
AN - SCOPUS:105016674547
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 20
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 9 September
M1 - e0332159
ER -