A national health survey to determine the prevalence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases will be carried out this summer across the Cayman Islands.
The World Health Organization survey, which will involve 3,300 households, is set to be carried out between 5 June and 31 July, and will be undertaken by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in partnership with the Economics and Statistics Office and the Health Services Authority.
The last STEPS survey was carried out in Cayman more than a decade ago.
That 2012 survey, which sampled 2,105 households across all three islands, showed that 15% of the population smoked; more than a third (36.6%) were obese and 70.6% overweight, according to BMI classifications; 63% of men and 39.4% of women regularly drank alcohol; 27% had high blood pressure; and less than half (47.9%) of residents had high levels of physical activity.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness, in a statement, said the purpose of the new survey to determine how the population’s health has changed over the past decade.
The survey entails three parts: a questionnaire; in-house measures of blood pressure, weight, etc.; and finger-prick blood measurements for blood sugar, cholesterol and other levels.
All residents aged 16-69 can participate.
Results of the health checks and the survey will be anonymised and all personal information will be removed, the ministry noted.
The first of a series of community meetings to discuss the survey will be held at the East End Civic Centre on 30 March from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, and will include presentations from Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nick Gent and National Epidemiologist Rachel Corbett, who will speak about the survey and answer questions from attendees.
The ministry is encouraging all residents to attend.
For more information, email [email protected].
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