Surveillance Of Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors

Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death in China, accounting for close to 70% of the disease burden and over 80% of the total mortality. The four main NCDs in China are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPDs). Over 50% of the NCD burden is preventable by modifying health factors such as tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, poor diet, particularly high consumption of fast foods that are rich in fat and salt and sugar-rich soft drinks, and physical inactivity.China's urban population endures a high prevalence of overweight individuals, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. This chapter describes major NCD trends and their risk factors in urban areas of China. An analysis of mortality will demonstrate current major causes of death, the burden of disease and 'disabilities adjusted life years' (DALYs) in urban populations, and changes in the mortality and disease burden during the past decades. Risk-factor analysis will show the prevalence of and trends in behavioral risk factors such as smoking, harmful alcohol use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity as well as pre-NCD conditions such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. These analyses will provide strong suggestions for policy makers and public healthcare providers in shaping future policies and programs which address these risk factors.