Unveiling Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors: Primary Health Care's Screening Efforts In Albania
Main Article Content
Abstract
Introduction: Primary health care is an effective way to identify and screen the risk factors of non-communicable diseases(NCDs).
Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among a primary care population. 500 consecutively approached individuals,exiting the Primary Health Care (PHC)centers after attending the service, were interviewed face-to-face about their socio-demographic characteristics, the presence of NCDs, the presence of any NCDs risk factors, as well as if they had been asked, informed, or tested respectively about each risk factor by their PHC providers during the medical visit or after the check-up. An adapted World Health OrganizationSTEPS questionnaire was used as a survey instrument.
Results:Within the sample, PHC providers had asked 71.7% of current smokers, 60.6 % of current alcohol users, 42 % of individuals who eat inadequate servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day, 45.2% of excessive salt consumers, and 46.8% of individuals who engage in low physical activity, respectively, about each lifestyle risk factor. PHC users with at least one chronic condition were more likely than those without a chronic condition, to be asked byPHC providers about smoking (p<0.01), alcohol consumption (p<0.01), salt consumption (p<0.01) and any of the risk factors after the"check-up" control (p<0.001). 30% of subjects had done a "check-up" control last year.
Conclusions: Primary health care faces a large population with chronic conditions and associated risk factors.The role of primary health care providers in identifyingNCD risk factors is moderate and should be increased until full coverage of screening all "at-risk" individuals
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