Health of the Nation

Last updated on Jan 16, 2023

Health of the Nation (HotN)

The Barbados National Risk Factor Survey (2012-13)

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Summary

In this national cross-sectional survey, we collected data for 1,234 participants aged at least 25 years on demographics, behavioural risk factors, medical history, place of treatment and costs incurred, blood pressure and anthropometry, and biochemical measures. Prevalence of each risk factor was estimated overall, for each sex separately, and stratified by three broad age-groups.

Additional data collections on randomly-selected participant subgroups collected information on objective physical activity and on dietary intake.

The good and the bad news on risk factors

  • By international standards tobacco smoking is low in men and very low in women
  • Binge drinking is low in women but practised by around a quarter of all men
  • Much room for improvement in diet and physical activity
  • Obesity is high, especially in women
  • 19% of women have a BMI of 35 and above (6% of men)
  • 62% of women have abdominal obesity (20% of men)
  • The vast majority of Barbadian adults have two or more risk factors; virtually no one is risk factor free
Figure: Percentages of the Barbados adult population by the number of risk factors (*obesity, physical inactivity, daily tobacco smoking, 'binge' alcohol consumption, less than 5 daily portions of fruit and vegetables*)
Figure: Percentages of the Barbados adult population by the number of risk factors (obesity, physical inactivity, daily tobacco smoking, ‘binge’ alcohol consumption, less than 5 daily portions of fruit and vegetables)
hotn completed project barbados analytics data handling survey adults risk factors
Ian Hambleton
Ian Hambleton
Professor of Biostatistics and Informatics

My research themes include data handling technologies, systematic review methods, health inequalities, health in small islands.