BACKGROUND AND AIMS:In this study, a prevalence survey of various atherosclerosis risk factors was carried out on hitherto poorly studied rural -urban migrants settled in urban slums in a large metropolitan city in northern India, with the aim of studying anthropometric and metabolic characteristics of this population in socio-economic transition. DESIGN: A cross-sectional epidemiological descriptive study. SUBJECTS: A total of 532 subjects (170 males and 362 females) were included in the study (response rate approximately 40%). METHODS AND RESULTS:In this study, diabetes mellitus was recorded in 11.2% (95% CI 6.8 -16.9) of males and 9.9% (95% CI 7.0 -13.5) of females, the overall prevalence being 10.3% (95% CI 7.8 -13.2). Based on body mass index (BMI), obesity was more prevalent in females (15.6%; 95% CI 10.7 -22.3) than in males (13.3%; 95% CI 8.5 -19.5). On the other hand, classifying obesity based on percentage body fat (%BF), 10.6% (95% CI 6.4 -16.2) of males and 40.2% (95% CI 34.9 -45.3) of females were obese. High waist -hip ratio (WHR) was observed in 9.4% (95% CI 5.4 -14.8) of males and 51.1% (95% CI 45.8 -56.3) of the females. All individual skinfolds and sum of skinfolds were significantly higher in females (P < 0.001). In both males and females above 30 y of age, there was a steep increase in the prevalence of high WHR, and in females, %BF was very high (particularly in %BF quartile > 30%). Furthermore, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were high in both males and females. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that for both males and females BMI, WHR and %BF were positive predictors of biochemical parameters, except for HDL-c, for which these parameters were negatively associated. CONCLUSIONS: Appreciable prevalence of obesity, dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, substantial increase in body fat, generalised and regional obesity in middle age, particularly in females, need immediate attention in terms of prevention and health education in such economically deprived populations.

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Low intakes of folic acid and vitamin B12, and hyperhomocysteinemia, in both the healthy population living in urban slums and adjacent urban non-slum areas, are important observations for the prevention of nutritional and cardiovascular diseases in the Indian subcontinent.

Objectives: The intra-country rural to urban migrant populations undergo radical socio-economic and lifestyle changes in a developing country. Therefore, it is an interesting sample in which to study nutrition pattern, anthropometry and metabolic profile. The aim of this study was to assess nutrient profile and its association with the anthropometry, percentage body fat (%BF) and blood lipids in the urban slum dwellers in northern India. Design: A cross sectional epidemiological descriptive study. Settings: The study was conducted in urban slum colony of Gautam Nagar, situated in a southern area of New Delhi. Subjects: The data was recorded in 227 subjects (52 males and 175 females). Results: The diets averaged approximately 59 -60% of energy from carbohydrates, 12 -13% energy from protein, and 24 -27% energy from dietary total fat. Lower intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), a low ratio of n6=n-3 fatty acids, a high ratio of polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids, a high intake of erucic acid, and a low consumption of fibre and vitamin E intake were significant observations. Although their mean body mass index (BMI) was in a low range (20.5 AE 4.2), %BF was high in females (26.7 AE 8.6%; P ¼ 0.001), and a high prevalence of abdominal obesity was observed in both males (22%) and females (16%). Moreover, there was high prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and, in particular, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Those consuming a high-fat diet (>30%) also consumed high MUFA, n-3 fatty acids, saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. Carbohydrate intake as percentage energy was a significant predictor of the levels of triacylglycerol in males, while in females significant predictors for triacylglycerol include intake of carbohydrate as percentage energy, age, %BF and BMI. Conclusion: In this economically deprived population, now constituting approximately 30 -50% of the urban population of major cities in India, such adverse dietary, anthropometric and metabolic factors are predictors of early and accelerated atherosclerosis.

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