PREVALENCE OF RISK FACTORS OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AMONG RURAL POPULATION USING W.H.O – STEPS APPROACH

This dataset accompanies the study titled "Prevalence of Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Diseases Among Rural Population Using the WHO STEPS Approach." The dataset contains anonymized participant-level data collected from a rural population using the World Health Organization STEPwise Approach to Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Surveillance (WHO STEPS), the globally standardized framework for monitoring NCD risk factors. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers, account for the majority of global mortality and represent an increasing public health burden in low- and middle-income countries. Rural communities often experience delayed diagnosis, inadequate preventive services, and limited access to healthcare, making surveillance of modifiable risk factors essential for evidence-based public health planning. The dataset includes comprehensive information on: Sociodemographic characteristics Tobacco smoking and smokeless tobacco use Alcohol consumption patterns Dietary habits (fruit and vegetable intake) Physical activity Personal and family history of chronic diseases Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference) Blood pressure measurements Blood glucose measurements Additional variables collected according to the WHO STEPS protocol The standardized WHO STEPS methodology enhances the comparability of findings with regional, national, and international surveillance studies. The dataset enables estimation of the prevalence and distribution of major behavioral, physical, and metabolic risk factors for non-communicable diseases within rural populations. This openly available dataset may be used for: Epidemiological and public health research Secondary data analyses Comparative studies across different populations Validation of statistical and machine learning models Educational and teaching purposes Meta-analyses and systematic reviews Development of evidence-based prevention and health promotion strategies Researchers and policymakers may utilize this dataset to better understand the burden of NCD risk factors in rural communities, identify high-risk groups, evaluate preventive interventions, and inform community-based screening and health promotion programs aligned with national NCD control strategies and the World Health Organization Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases. All participant identifiers have been removed to preserve confidentiality. The dataset is shared solely for scientific research, educational use, and public health advancement.