Health status and non communicable disease profile of women and children belonging to scheduled castes in selected areas of Thiruvanathapuram district of Kerala: Findings from the 2021-2022 cross sectional survey

BACKGROUND:

Scheduled castes (SCs) constitute one of the socially disadvantaged populations in India and continue to experience socioeconomic inequities that influence health outcomes. Although Kerala has achieved favorable health indicators overall, the evidence on the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), associated risk factors, and environmental health conditions among SC communities remains limited. This survey was undertaken to generate community-level evidence to inform public health planning and targeted interventions.

OBJECTIVES:

To assess the health status, prevalence of selected NCDs, behavioral and anthropometric risk factors, and environmental health conditions among women and children belonging to SC communities in selected panchayats of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between July 2021 and March 2022 among women (≥18 years) and children (0–18 years) belonging to SC households in five selected panchayats of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported health conditions, behavioral risk factors, environmental sanitation, and selected child health indicators was collected using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings.

RESULTS:

Data were collected from 6630 individuals from SC households. Among adults, self-reported cardiovascular disease was present in 21.2%, diabetes in 5.3%, asthma in 1.8%, osteoarthritis in 0.7%, stroke in 0.2%, and cancer in 0.4%. Nearly three-quarters (71.5%) of women reported a sedentary lifestyle, while 39.4% were overweight. Among children, recurrent respiratory tract infections (8.8%), skin infections (9.1%), and gastrointestinal infections (4.0%) were commonly reported. Environmental assessment showed that 36.8% of households practiced open waste disposal, 31.1% had open drainage systems, and 19.9% reported no measures for vector control.

CONCLUSION:

The survey demonstrates a substantial burden of NCDs and modifiable behavioral and environmental risk factors among SC communities in the study area. These findings highlight the need for community-based interventions focusing on NCD prevention, promotion of healthy lifestyles, improved environmental sanitation, and strengthened primary healthcare services.

IEC No: 9-19/2020-RARILSD/Tvpm/Tech(IEC)/436, Dated June 17, 2021.