Study On The Prevalence And Control Measures Of Chronic Diseases In A Rural Area Of Anhui Province

Objective: To understand the prevalence status of chronic disease, influencing factors and the control situation in a rural area of Anhui province, and provide policy recommendations and theoretical support for the local health departments to develop disease-prevention strategies.Methods: A stratified cluster sampling method to select nine villages in three townships of the County as research fields, and an investigation was made to all the adults by using a self-designed questionnaire. A total of 2193 valid questionnaires were obtained. The questionnaire included prevalence status of chronic diseases, health behaviors, medical needs and knowledge. Meanwhile, 104 primary health workers were selected randomly to a survey of chronic disease prevention capacity, and qualitative interviews were carried out to the person in charge of township hospitals, primary health workers about the problems and suggest in chronic disease prevention and control. Epidata 3.0 was used input data, and using SPSS11.0 software for statistical analysis. Analysis methods include Descriptive Statistic Analysis,χ2 test and Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis.Results: (1) The Prevalence of Chronic Disease was 8.6%, and the highest prevalence was hypertension, accounting for 42.4% of the total diseases;(2) Logistic multivariate analysis showed age, marital status, smoking was the major risk factors for chronic diseases;(3) The smoking rate was 25.9% of rural residents, alcohol consumption was 37.2%,high-salt diet was 32.4%, high carbohydrate diet was 22.5%;(4) Rural residents obtain the knowledge of chronic diseases mainly by television (68.7%), and then doctors (21.2%) and radio (9.9%);(5) 88.6% of rural residents choose grassroots medical institutions to treatment;(6) A low awareness rate of relationship between smoking and hypertension, and relationship between alcohol consumption and diabetes were 28.5% and 21.0%;(7) The awareness rate for primary health professionals on hypertension and diabetes risk factors,treatment principles and drug classes at a low level, both under 50.0%;22.3 %～66.5% of primary health workers involved in different forms of chronic disease prevention;(8) Qualitative interviews showed that the main problem of chronic disease prevention including poor health-conscious of residents, medical personnel lack of prevention knowledge, inadequated investment of government,and the main recommendations including increased public education, supported by government funding, and strengthen the training of medical personnels.Conclusion: Hypertension is the main chronic disease in the investigated areas;Unhealthy living behavior is pervasive existed in rural residents; Television and rural doctors are the main way to obtain knowledge of chronic diseases;Rural residents with low awareness rate of chronic diseases related knowledge;Treatment institutions of rural residents are reasonable, but medical needs are different;Primary health professionals lack of the capacity on prevention of chronic diseases.Recommendations:Increase investment in prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, and explore various means of financing; Increase the intensity of primary chronic disease health promotion and education;Establish and improve chronic disease evaluation, motivation and evaluation systems; Hardware and software should be improved in primary health care; Developing the rural community health services, improve service methods and services;Establish health archives of rural residents,and improve chronic disease information monitoring system.