Prevention-oriented epidemiology of burns in Ardabil provincial burn centre, Iran

Epidemiology of Burn Injuries Among Adult Females in Southern Iran; A Retrospective Study from 2007 to 2022

Burn-by flame, flush, scald, electrical, and chemical types-accounts for 5%-12% of trauma injuries worldwide. In Iranian studies, females were the main victims of domestic burns with higher mortality and frequencies. This retrospective study evaluates the epidemiology and etiology of burn injuries in females aged 25-64 years between October 2007 and May 2022 in southern Iran. Demographics and burn etiology information were collected by questionnaires at admission. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between variables and burn mortality. Pearson's Chi-Square and One-way ANOVA tests were utilized to compare different burn etiologies. Of 3212 females with burn injuries, 1499 (46.6%) were included with a mean age of 38.5 ± 10.8 years. Flame (59.7%) and flush (28.9%) were significantly the most common injuries mechanism. Burn was most common in rural areas (53.9%) and indoor settings (62.1%) (P-value < .001). 77.9% of the population were under-diploma (P-value < .001), and 3.5% were divorced with higher burn-suicide attempts. The mean Total Body Surface Area (TBSA%) was 41.1 ± 28.3%, and the mean Length of Stay (LOS) was 14.5 ± 13.2 days with a 39.1% mortality rate. With univariate and multivariate analysis, TBSA%, indoor places, flame, flush, and urban living were risk factors for burn mortality. Briefly, flame in indoor settings is the most common type of burn injury affecting adult females with lower educational levels living in rural areas. Such epidemiological studies of burns in adult females may be helpful for health policymakers to develop burn prevention programs.

A Review of Petrol Burns in Australia and New Zealand

Petrol-related thermal burns cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and it has been established that they affect young males disproportionately. Beyond this, we sought to identify the difference in the characteristics and outcomes of burns between males and females in an international population. Such differences may highlight areas for future preventative strategies. The Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand was used. Petrol burns that resulted in a hospital admission in those 16 years or older between January 2010 and December 2019 were included. A total of 2833 patients were included. The median age was 35 years with most patients being male (88%). Burns from a campfire or burnoffs were most common. Females were more likely to suffer burns due to assault or from deliberate self-harm. The total body surface area affected by burns was higher for females than males (10% vs 8%). Furthermore, females more frequently required ICU admission, escharotomies, and had a longer hospital length of stay. The unadjusted mortality rate for females was more than double the rate for males (5.8% vs 2.3%). This international study demonstrates that whilst men more frequently suffer petrol burns, women suffer more severe burns, require more intensive and longer hospitalizations and have a higher mortality rate. These findings may inform changes in preventative health policies globally to mitigate against these concerning findings.

Manner of Death Determination in Fire Fatalities: 5-Year Autopsy Data of Istanbul City

Death resulting from burns is an important social problem and a frequent accident. However, because approximately 10% of cases are estimated to result from a fire that was deliberately started, all fire-related deaths should be treated as suspicious, and the cause of a fire should be investigated. For the bodies recovered from the scene of a fire, the manner of death could also be suicide or homicide. The objective of this study was to contribute to the clarification of controversial data present in the literature on the manner of death determination of fire-related deaths, through evaluation of autopsy findings of bodies recovered from fires. We reviewed 20,135 autopsies performed in a 5-year period, in Istanbul, as the whole autopsy data of the city and found 133 fire-related deaths. The death scene investigation reports and other judicial documents, autopsy findings, and toxicological analysis results were evaluated to determine the parameters of age, sex, level of the burn, vital signs [red flare; soot in the lower respiratory tract, esophagus, and/or stomach; and screening of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels in the blood], toxicological substances, presence of accelerants, cause of death, and manner of death. The manner of death was determined to be an accident in 98 (73.7%) and homicide in 12 (9%) cases, whereas there was no suicide. In addition, it could not be determined in 23 (17.2%) cases. In accidental deaths, the most frequent cause of death was COHb poisoning with statistically significant blood COHb levels greater than 10%. Further, the presence of soot in the lower respiratory tract, esophagus, and/or stomach and the existence of at least 1 or 2 vital signs together were found to be valid deterministic criteria with statistical significance in terms of identifying the manner of death.

Clinical study of burn patients requiring admission: A single center experience at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences

Background:

Although burns are a major problem in health care, a lot of the variation in risk factors exists from region to region which if uncovered correctly could help take effective prevention measures.

Aims and Objectives:

To assess the 3-year (January 2012 to January 2015) epidemiology of burn injuries admitted to our hospital (primary objective) and to find areas of improvement in burn care (secondary objective).

Materials and Methods:

After obtaining ethical approval data were obtained from the medical record section regarding age, sex, residence, occupation, marital status, socioeconomic status, dates of admission and discharge, circumstances regarding the place, intent, cause, and source of heat. Clinical assessment was done using Wallace's “Rule of Nine” in adult and “Lund and Browder” chart in the pediatric age groups. The interrelationships between clinical and epidemiological variables with burn injury were studied.

Results:

An increasing trend in the admission rates of burn victims noted in last 3 years males (55.47%) outnumbered females (44.52%). The most common age group affected is older children, adolescents, and young adults (between 11 and 30 years). Flame (38.3%) and scald (25.3%) burns contributed to most of the injuries. Females (52.30%) are the major victim of flame burns. Electrical and chemical burns affected only the males suggesting work-related injuries. Trunk (30.8%) is the most severely affected site in all cases. Depression (6.8%) and power line workers (4.7%) seem to be important risk factors in our study. Inability to complete treatment (26.7%) was a major concern in our study.

Conclusions:

This study highlights the need for proper burn care that could be provided at the primary health-care level. The majority of burns were accidental in nature in school going children, young adults, and females. Flame and scald burns were the most common cause. Preventive measures directed toward burn safety and first aid measures may improve the outcome in burn injuries.

Individual-level predictors of inpatient childhood burn injuries: a case-control study

Background

Burn injuries are considered one of the most preventable public health issue among children; however, are a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in Iran. The aim of this study was to assess individual-level predictors of severe burn injuries among children leading to hospitalization, in East Azerbaijan Province, in North-West of Iran.

Methods

The study was conducted through a hospital based case–control design involving 281 burn victims and 273 hospital-based controls who were frequency matched on age, gender and urbanity. Both bivariate and multivariate methods were used to analyze the data.

Results

Mean age of the participants was 40.5 months (95 % CI: 37–44) with the majority of burns occurring at ages between 2 months-13.9 years. It was demonstrated that with increase in the caregiver’s age there was a decrease in the odds of burn injuries (OR = 0.94, 95 % CI: 0.92-0.97). According to the multivariate logistic regression there were independent factors associated with burn injuries including childhood ADHD (OR = 2.82, 95 % CI: 1.68 - 4.76), child’s age (OR = 0.73, 95%CI: 0.67 - 0.80), flammability of clothing (OR = 1.60, 95 % CI: 1.12 - 2.28), daily length of watching television (OR = 1.31, 95 % CI: 1.06 - 1.61), playing outdoors (OR = 1.32, 95 % CI: 1.16 - 1.50) and increment in the economic status (OR = 1.37, 95 % CI: 1.18 - 1.60).

Conclusion

Major risk predictors of burn injuries among the Iranian population included childhood ADHD, child’s age, watching television, playing outdoors, high economic status and flammable clothing.

A survey of characteristics of self-immolation in the northern iran

Background:

Suicide is an action deliberately initiated and performed by a person with complete awareness of its fatal outcome, prevalence of which is very rare in developed countries, but it is reported with more frequency in Middle East including Iran.

Aim:

This study was carried out to analyze the characteristics, mortality, and related factors of burned patients who attempted to suicide by self-immolation in Northern Iran.

Materials and Methods:

In this retrospective study, the archived files of 101 cases that referred to the main burn care center located in northern Iran (Included: Mazadaran, Golestan cities) - cause of suicide attempting by self-immolation during 2 years 2010-2011, analyzed. A record sheet designed to extract data such as: Age, education, occupation, gender, residence, marital status, drug abuse, and extent of the burn injuries as a percent of burned total body surface area (TBSA).

Results:

The incidence rate of suicide attempted cases were 1.98/100,000 person-years. The mean ages for cases were 31.8 (13.6). The mean age for males and females were 36.1 (14.8) and 30.1 (12.9) years, respectively. In, about 84% (84/101) of the patient's burned TBSA was more than 40% (41/101). Burn injuries were more frequent, larger, and included higher mortality in females than males. Kerosene was the most common used material to self-burning. The mortality rate was about 74% (74/101), which showed a high mortality rate in this study. Other social factors such as marital status, employment, and education level have a role as individually protective or risk factors for self-burning.

Conclusion:

Finding of the current study manifested high rate of suicide by self-immolation among young, married, and low educated women in Northern Iran. It implies a social problem, and need to an arrangement of a cultural program aimed to improving health, psychological habits and educational level.

Epidemiology and outcome analysis of scalds in children caused by "guo lian kang": an 11-year review in a burn center in China

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of scalds induced by "guo lian kang" (literally "stove connected to bed") in children.

METHODS

The demographic, burn features, outcome, and other information of 0-14-year-old children with "guo lian kang"-induced scalds admitted to the burn treatment center of the 322 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army in Datong from 30 September 2001 to 31 December 2011 were analyzed.

RESULTS

Among the 1993 children clearly documented with scalds due to hot liquid in vessels, 795 (39.89%) had burns due to "guo lian kang." The proportion of the pediatric burns caused by "guo lian kang" was 55.56% in 2002 and 37.30% in 2011, with a decreasing trend. One-year-old children accounted for the highest proportion of children with burns due to "guo lian kang" (male:female=1.54:1). Scalding mostly occurred from October to May; the most common times were around 8:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 7:00 PM. Most scalds occurred on the upper limbs, 90.22% of which were dermal burns. The median burn area was 11% of the total body surface area. The burn agent was mainly hot water in pots. Scalding mostly occurred when the children accidentally sat on, or fell or stepped into the pot while playing. Among the children with "guo lian kang"-induced scalds, up to 42.26% of the children did not receive any treatment before hospital admission, and 18.86% of the children were admitted to the hospital ≥6h after the occurrence of burns. In addition, 74.97% of the children's families can afford the medical expenses, while 5.28% abandoned treatment because of financial difficulties. There were no significant differences between children with scalds caused by "guo lian kang" and scalds caused due to other reasons considering the age and sex. Compared to scalds due to other reasons, children with "guo lian kang"-induced scalds had greater burn area and depth, shock incidence, surgery rate, blood transfusion rate, length of hospital stay, and hospitalization costs.

CONCLUSION

Preventive measures against burns should be taken from October to May and mainly during cooking time in order to prevent burns in children less than 3 years of age, especially in 1-year-old boys. The most simple and effective preventive measure is to install a barrier between the pot and bed. The incidence of shock in children may be reduced if parents and primary medical staff undergo training to perform first aid for burns and if there are improvements in the referral system after burns.

Sustained high incidence of injuries from burns in a densely populated urban slum in Kenya: an emerging public health priority

INTRODUCTION

Ninety-five percent of burn deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); however, longitudinal household-level studies have not been done in urban slum settings, where overcrowding and unsafe cook stoves may increase likelihood of injury.

METHODS

Using a prospective, population-based disease surveillance system in the urban slum of Kibera in Kenya, we examined the incidence of household-level burns of all severities from 2006-2011.

RESULTS

Of approximately 28,500 enrolled individuals (6000 households), we identified 3072 burns. The overall incidence was 27.9/1000 person-years-of-observation. Children <5 years old sustained burns at 3.8-fold greater rate compared to (p<0.001) those ≥5 years old. Females ≥5 years old sustained burns at a rate that was 1.35-fold (p<0.001) greater than males within the same age distribution. Hospitalizations were uncommon (0.65% of all burns).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of burns, 10-fold greater than in most published reports from Africa and Asia, suggests that such injuries may contribute more significantly than previously thought to morbidity in LMICs, and may be increased by urbanization. As migration from rural areas into urban slums rapidly increases in many African countries, characterizing and addressing the rising burden of burns is likely to become a public health priority.

Two-year hospital records of burns from a referral center in Western Iran: March 2010-March 2012

BACKGROUND

Burns are among the most common injuries affecting a great number of people worldwide annually. In Iran, especially in its western region and in Kermanshah province, burns have a relatively high incidence. The present study was aimed at investigating epidemiological characteristics in Western Iran.

METHODS

Within a cross-sectional study, the data on all patients attending the Burns Center at Imam Khomeini Hospital (Kermanshah, Iran) during 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 (24 months) were collected. Then, age, gender, cause of burns, total body surface area, and time of the occurrence were extracted from the hospital records. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package (Version 19, for Windows). We used chi-squared test when we compared the categorical responses between two or more groups. For comparing means between two groups we used t-test. In addition, trends were investigated using linear regression.

RESULTS

Overall 13,248 people were referred to the Burns Center at Imam Khomeini Hospital (Kermanshah, Iran) during the period of study, including 328 cases of self-immolation. The mean age of the patients was 27±19 years and 29±13 years for unintentional burns and self-immolation respectively. Out of the total number of unintentional cases, 6,519 (50.5%) were men, while the corresponding percentage of men among the self-immolation cases was 16.6% (p less than 0.001). Trends in the number of cases were cyclic, with the highest and lowest number of burns cases being in March and May. Overall, hot liquids and flammable materials were the two most important causes of unintentional burns. However, flammable materials were the main cause of burns among self-immolation cases. During hospital admission, 168 (51%) self-immolation victims and 43 (0.33%) unintentional burn victims died.

CONCLUSIONS

While major preventive measures are not adequately used in developing countries, burns and their burden can be significantly reduced by increasing public awareness and by applying simple preventive measures.

Unintentional domestic burns in Iran: Analysis of 125,000 cases from a national register

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to map out some epidemiological aspects of unintentional burn injuries among Iranian victims using a national injury registry data.

METHODS

Injury data were taken from a national injury surveillance system over the period 2000-2002. The study population comprised 31.5% of Iran's population. Burn-injury cases were retrieved and analysed.

RESULTS

Of all the grossly 307,000 home injuries reported during the years 2000-2002 in Iran, about 125,000 cases (41%) were unintentional burn injuries. Women comprised 58% of the unintentional burn victims. The mean age among burn victims was 19.18±19 (standard deviation, SD) years. The age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates showed that children had a much higher incidence of domestic burns but the elderly suffered higher fatality in spite of lower incidence in this age group. Overall, 65.2% of the domestic burn injuries occurred in the living rooms or bedrooms followed by 27% in the kitchen. The hands and fingers were injured in 43.6% followed by the lower limbs in 37.6%. According to injury mechanism, scalds were the most common type of burn injuries comprising 77.7% of all burns. Of all the burn victims, 791 died, 48 victims became disabled and the remaining improved or were undergoing therapy when reported.

CONCLUSION

Burns form a major health problem in Iran. Due to high mortality rate, the elderly need specific attention regarding burn prevention and treatment in this age group. Moreover, in spite of lower fatality, any prevention programme should have a focus on childhood burns mainly due to the overwhelming distribution of burns in children and the young population of Iran.

Trauma-related Therapeutic Procedures at Shohada Trauma Center in Tabriz

Background

To decrease the burden of injuries it is essential to have an overview of trauma patterns and its management at regional trauma centers.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate some patterns of trauma and trauma-related therapeutic interventions at our trauma center.

Materials and Methods

In a cross-sectional study, 19530 trauma cases admitted to the emergency department and hospital wards of Shohada University Hospital during 2007-2008 were assessed.

Results

Of the 19530 trauma cases, 14960(76.7%) were males. Mean (SD) of age was 31(19.9) years. The elderly aged 65 and above, comprised 10% (1953) of the participants; while 44 were infants. Falls and traffic injuries were the most common cause of injuries among trauma patients. Most of the mortalities were men comprising 74% of the 57 deaths. Reduction of fractures and dislocations were the most common types of operations among trauma patients.

Conclusions

Young men form the target group for possible interventions to decrease the burden of trauma following falls and traffic accidents.

Epidemiology of burn injuries at a newly established burn care center in rasht

Background

Advances in the care of burn injuries have resulted from the efforts of regional patient-based specialist teams at burn care centers.

Objectives

We conducted this study to assess the four-year epidemiology of burn injuries in Rasht, Iran.

Materials and Methods

In this cross-sectional study, medical records of 2274 burn patients, treated at Velayat hospital from January 2007 to December 2010 in Rasht, Iran, were assessed. Age, sex, level of education, occupation, severity and degree of burn, burn surface area, burn cause and outcome of patients were evaluated.

Results

In our study the overall mortality rate was 8.7%; 65.7% of patients were men and 34.3% were women. Mean age of patients was 31.47 ± 22.67 years. Mean Total Burn Surface Area (TBSA) was 15.24 ± 18.4. Lowest TBSA was 0.5% and highest TBSA was 100%. Significant associations were observed between age (P = 0.0001), place of residence (P = 0.004), level of education (P = 0.0001), unemployment (P = 0.0001), marital status (P = 0.021), causes of burn (P = 0.0001), TBSA (P = 0.0001) and mortality rate. In our study, no significant difference was observed between age and sex (P = 0.071).

Conclusions

Due to high prevalence of burn injuries in Iran, increasing the level of awareness of the society as well as adhering to safety procedures both at home and workplace is recommended via implementing effective national safety policies.

Epidemiology of operative burns at Kijabe Hospital from 2006 to 2010: pilot study of a web-based tool for creation of the Kenya Burn Repository

INTRODUCTION

In order to implement effective burn prevention strategies, the WHO has called for improved data collection to better characterize burn injuries in low and middle income countries (LMIC). This study was designed to gather information on burn injury in Kenya and to test a model for such data collection.

METHODS

The study was designed as a retrospective case series study utilizing an electronic data collection tool to assess the scope of burn injuries requiring operation at Kijabe Hospital from January 2006 to May 2010. Data were entered into a web-based tool to test its utility as the potential Kenya Burn Repository (KBR).

RESULTS

174 patients were included. The median age was 10 years. There was a male predominance (59% vs. 41%). Findings included that timing of presentation was associated with burn etiology (p=0.009). Length of stay (LOS) was associated with burn etiology (p<0.001). Etiology differed depending on the age group, with scald being most prominent in children (p=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Burn injuries in Kenya show similarities with other LMIC in etiology and pediatric predominance. Late presentation for care and prolonged LOS are areas for further investigation. The web-based database is an effective tool for data collection and international collaboration.

Domestic injuries and suicide among women of reproductive age in Iran

Background

The aim of this study was to map out some epidemiological aspects of intentional and unintentional injuries among Iranian women of reproductive age using a national registry.

Methods

Injury data were taken from a national-based injury surveillance system over the period 2000–2002. The study population comprised 31.5% of the population of Iran.

Results

Of all the 307,064 domestic injuries reported during the years 2000–2002, about 152,600 cases (49.7%) involved women. About half of these women (76,474) were in the reproductive age group. The majority (42.7%) of injuries among women of reproductive age were burn wounds followed by lacerations in 32.6%. Eighty-five percent of suicide cases were poisonings, followed by 11% for suicides by burning. However, 45.2% of burn suicides were fatal, compared with a 0.89% fatality rate for poisonings. Of all female suicide victims, 1029 died, 174 victims became disabled, while the remainder improved or were undergoing therapy when reported.

Conclusion

Injuries, especially burns, are a major public health problem for women of reproductive age.

Household related predictors of burn injuries in an Iranian population: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

To prevent burn injuries it is vital to have sound information on predictors of its occurrence in different settings. Ardabil Province is the coldest province of Iran with high burden of burn injuries. The aim of this study was to determine the household related predictors of unintentional burns in Ardabil Province located at North-West of Iran.

METHODS

The study was conducted through a hospital based case-control design. 239 burn victims as well as 246 hospital-based controls were enrolled. Both bivariate and multivariate analysis methods were used.

RESULTS

Males comprised 55.2% of all the study subjects. Mean age of the participants was 21.8 years (95% CI: 19.17-24.4). The economic ability of the households was associated with risk of burn injuries. Multivariate conditional logistic regression results showed the following variables to be independent factors associated with burn injuries. Using non-conventional pipe-less air heaters instead of conventional piped kerosene- or gas-burning heaters (Odds ratio: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.1-3.6). Common use of picnic gas-stove for cooking at home (odds ratio = 1.6, 95%CI: 1-2.4). Using electric samovars instead of other types of samovars (Odds ratio = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-1). Using samovars lacking the national standard authorization mark (Odds ratio = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4-3.6).

CONCLUSION

Using some types of specific heating or cooking appliances, and unsafe use of conventional appliances were major risk predictors of burn injuries in this population.

Epidemiology of burns in Iran during the last decade (2000-2010): review of literature and methodological considerations

The approach to burn prevention, to be effective in a particular area, should be based on sound knowledge of etiological patterns of burns injuries and must take into account the geographical variations and socioeconomic differences in burn epidemiology. Although many articles are published on burns epidemiology in Iran, a holistic view of burn epidemiology in Iran is not well presented in literature. In this study, a wide literature review was made on articles published regarding burns injuries in Iran. Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, and Iranian scientific information (SID) databases were searched for information on epidemiology of burns in Iran during the years 2000-2010. During the investigation we found that few Farsi journals were not indexed in SID during the earlier years of the decade, so to increase the chance of capturing necessary information these were checked by hand. As the second source, available data from the Iranian National Home Injury Registry Database (INHIRD) during two Iranian calendar years in the period 2001-2003 were used to extract necessary information. The results of this review helped in defining the magnitude of the burns problem, exploring the role of gender and age in burns, defining the agents causing burns, burn extent, burn mortality and place of injury occurrence. Some areas with paucity of information as well as methodological pitfalls in published research were identified and discussed.

Stress disorder and PTSD after burn injuries: a prospective study of predictors of PTSD at Sina Burn Center, Iran

BACKGROUND

A burn injury can be a traumatic experience with tremendous social, physical, and psychological consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate the existence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and predictors of PTSD Checklist score initially and 3 months after injury in burns victims admitted to the Sina Burn Center in north-west Iran.

METHODS

This prospective study examined adult patients aged 16-65 years with unintentional burns. The PTSD Checklist was used to screen for PTSD.

RESULTS

Flame burns constituted 49.4% of all burns. Mean PTSD score was 23.8 ± 14.7 early in the hospitalization period and increased to 24.2 ± 14.3, 3 months after the burn injury. Twenty percent of victims 2 weeks into treatment had a positive PTSD screening test, and this figure increased to 31.5% after 3 months. The likelihood of developing a positive PTSD screening test increased significantly after 3 months (P < 0.01). Using multivariate regression analysis, factors independently predicting PTSD score were found to be age, gender, and percentage of total body surface area burned.

CONCLUSION

PTSD was a problem in the population studied and should be managed appropriately after hospital admission due to burn injury. Male gender, younger age, and higher total body surface area burned may predict a higher PTSD score after burn injury.

Risk factor investigation for cardiovascular health through WHO STEPS approach in Ardabil, Iran

Objectives:

Reliable evidence is the keystone for any noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention plan to be initiated. In this study we carried out a risk factor investigation based on the WHO Stepwise approach to Surveillance (STEPS).

Methods:

The study was conducted on 1000 adults between 15 and 64 years of age living in Ardabil province, north-west Iran during 2006, based on the WHO STEPS approach to surveillance of risk factors for NCD. At this stage only the first and second steps were carried out. Data were collected through standard questionnaires and methods analyzed using STATA version 8 statistical software package.

Results:

29.0% of men and 2.6% of women were current daily tobacco smokers. The mean number of manufactured cigarettes smoked per day was 18.9 among current daily smokers. Smoking was most prevalent among men of low-income families and those of lower education. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.6 kg/m², and was significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure. 58.9% were overweight or obese; 18.0% had raised blood pressure and 3.7% had isolated systolic hypertension. The mean number of servings of fruit consumed per day was 1.1; 33.1% had low levels of activity. Combined risk factor analysis showed that 4.1% of participants were in the low-risk group (up to 5.1% among men and 3.2% among women). Those in the high-risk group comprised 25.6% in the 25- to 44-year age group and 49.7% in the 45- to 64-year age group. Mean BMI increased by age in both sexes at least at the first three decades of adult life.

Conclusion:

Based on observed status of risk for cardiovascular health, burden of cardiovascular diseases is expected to increase if an effective prevention strategy is not undertaken.