Condições crônicas de saúde e seus fatores de risco e proteção na cidade de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, are associated with high financial costs for the health system and the substantial number of deaths, mainly, related to cardiovascular diseases. Objective: The present study aims to estimate the prevalence and to evaluate the risk and protection factors for hypertension, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in the urban adult population living in the primary health care coverage areas of the municipality. Methodology: This is a household survey with representative sampling, subdivided into three meetings with the participants. In the first approach, a questionnaire was applied to assess the risk factors and protection of chronic non-communicable diseases. At the second meeting, anthropometric data were collected, screening for chronic kidney disease was performed, and blood and urine collection was performed for complementary tests. On the third visit, after previous analysis of the results of the previous meetings, counseling was conducted on healthy living habits and prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases in question. The blood pressure was measured in the first three. For those with laboratory abnormalities in the examinations performed the repetition of the altered test was indicated in order to confirm the suspected diseases. Given this, some participants needed to pass for a fourth approach, in which the result was delivered. Results: Hypertension, diabetes mellitus and the possibility of chronic kidney disease were self-reported by 27.6%, 8.5% and 8.5%, respectively. These chronic health conditions were more prevalent among older individuals and among those with less schooling. In addition, these health conditions were more prevalent in sedentary individuals and individuals with excess weight. The chronic health conditions evaluated were also more prevalent among those with acute myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure. Among the suspects, hypertension was diagnosed in 19.3%, and among those who underwent confirmatory examination, 63.6% were diagnosed as diabetic and 50.0% were chronic kidney patients. Conclusion: It was observed that the population of Juiz de Fora has a high prevalence of chronic health conditions, together with risk factors for them. It was possible to obtain important associations between the chronic conditions of health and lifestyle. It can be suggested that the high prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases evaluated in part may be due to unhealthy lifestyles, which have been frequently reported.