PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF CERTAIN CORONARY RISK FACTORS IN AIR FORCE PERSONNEL

180 Airforce personnel selected by stratified random sampling technique were studied for coronary risk factors. Nearly 27% individuals had one, 21% had two and 15% had multiple risks. Tobacco smoking was found to be the commonest risk factor (54%) followed by physical inactivity (45%), hyper-cholesterolaemia (22.2%), obesity (20%), hypertension (15%) and positive family history (12.2%). The prevalence of smoking, physical inactivity, excessive intake of dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol values were seen significantly rising with age. The mean cholesterol values in the age group of 30-39, 40 years and above were higher than the WHO recommended values. The findings of the study suggest a greater emphasis on health education of airmen on coronary heart disease and its positive association with certain risk factors.