CARRS Surveillance study: design and methods to assess burdens from multiple perspectives

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Surveillance

Background:

• Cardio-metabolic diseases (CMDs) pose a significant public health challenge globally.
• Data on CMD incidence, trends, and costs in developing nations, particularly South Asia, is limited.
• Standardized non-communicable disease surveillance is crucial, as recommended by the UN.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a model surveillance system for cardio-metabolic diseases (CMDs) and associated risk factors in South Asia.
• To enable continuous assessment of CMD burdens from multiple perspectives.
• To provide a framework for data collection and analysis in the region.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid model incorporating serial cross-sectional surveys (3 years apart) and a 3-year prospective cohort follow-up.
• Multi-stage cluster random sampling in urban settings (Chennai, New Delhi, Karachi) with 4000 participants per site.
• Development of culturally appropriate instruments for collecting data on CMDs, risk factors, quality of life, healthcare utilization, and objective health measures.

Main Results:

• High participant response rates in the first cross-sectional survey (94.1% overall).
• Participant demographics: 51.8% female, 61.6% under 45 years, 27.5% aged 45-60, and 10.9% over 60 years.
• The cohort follow-up is a pilot to assess the feasibility of estimating incidence of risk factors and disease events.

Conclusions:

• The developed surveillance model will yield vital data on CMD prevalence and trends in South Asia.
• It will facilitate the study of life-course patterns of CMDs and serve as a platform for intervention development.
• The system will also illuminate challenges and opportunities in establishing cross-country health surveillance.