Prevalence and influence factors of chronic diseases among rural inhabitants in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Objective To explore the prevalence and influence factors of chronic diseases among rural inhabitants in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region(Ningxia)and to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control of chronic diseases.Methods A total of 30 583 rural inhabitants were selected from Haiyuan,Yanchi,Tongxin,Pengyang and Xiji country of Ningxia with multi-stage random sampling and investigated with a face-to-face questionnaire survey.Results The overall prevalence and adjusted prevalence of chronic diseases in the inhabitants were 13.34%and 13.09%,respectively.The five most common chronic diseases were hypertension,rheumatoid arthritis,gastroenteritis,inter vertebral disc disease,and cholecystitis and gall stone with the prevalence rates of 36.82‰,15.63‰,4.49‰,9.45‰,and 8.14‰,respectively.The risk factors for the chronic diseases were female,aged ≥35 years,Hui nationality,married,and widow or widower.The inhabitants with education of junior high school or higher,being a worker,and having drinking water from a hand-drawn well,a river or a lake had low prevalence rates of chronic diseases.Conclusion The rural inhabitants of Ningxia have high prevalence rates of chronic diseases and the main influence factors of the chronic disease prevalence are gender,age,ethnicity,education level,marital status,occupation and primary source of drinking water.