Risk factors of non-communicable diseases among productive age in Universitas Pasundan: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remain the leading cause of death in Indonesia, including in Bandung City, where hypertension, heart disease, and stroke are the highest causes of mortality. Recently, the prevalence of NCDs has increased, frequently ranking among the top ten diseases reported in primary healthcare centres in Bandung. Furthermore, the epidemiological trend for NCDs has shifted from predominantly affecting older adults to increasingly affecting the productive age group. However, Indonesia still lacks research on NCD risk factors specifically within the productive age group, including in higher education populations where many individuals in this age group are present.Methods: This study aims to describe NCD risk factors in the productive age group (15-59 years), based on NCD risk factor screening data from the total sampling of 333 students and staff at Universitas Pasundan.Results: According to the data, 42.6% of respondents were in the pre-hypertension category and 5.4% already had hypertension, 36.6% had excessive body mass index (BMI), and 26.1% had central obesity. High blood pressure and central obesity were more prevalent in males, while excessive BMI was more prevalent in females. It was also found that 54.4% of respondents were exposed to cigarette smoke, 52.9% had insufficient physical activity, 49.8% consumed excessive sugar, 58.6% consumed excessive salt, 50.5% consumed excessive fat, and 57.4% had insufficient vegetable and fruit intake. Excessive consumption of sugar, salt, and fat was more prevalent in females.Conclusion: The study found that productive age population has a high risk of developing NCDs. Immidiate interventions are needed especially for at-risk populations, together with bolstering preventive and promotional efforts for those not yet at risk. The university should schedule regular annual screenings targeting a broader and more representative sample.