Effects of bidi smoking on all-cause mortality and cardiorespiratory outcomes in men from south Asia: an observational community-based substudy of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (PURE).

Background: Bidis are minimally regulated, inexpensive, hand-rolled tobacco products smoked in south Asia. We examined the effects of bidi smoking on baseline respiratory impairment, and prospectively collected data for all-cause mortality and cardiorespiratory events in men from this region.

Methods: This substudy of the international, community-based Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study was done in seven centres in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

A body shape index and heart rate variability in healthy indians with low body mass index.

Background. One third of Indian population is said to be suffering from chronic energy deficiency (CED), with increased risk of developing chronic diseases. A new anthropometric measure called A Body Shape Index (ABSI) is said to be a better index in predicting risks for premature mortality.

Development and evaluation of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for use in urban and rural India.

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for use in urban and rural India. A single FFQ was developed for use in cities and rural areas of four regions of India. To assess validity, the FFQ was administered to 530 factory workers and rural dwellers, and subsequently three 24 hour recalls were administered on different days.

Sociodemographic patterning of non-communicable disease risk factors in rural India: a cross sectional study.

Objectives: To investigate the sociodemographic patterning of non-communicable disease risk factors in rural India.

Design: Cross sectional study.

Setting: About 1600 villages from 18 states in India.

Assessment of physical activity using accelerometry, an activity diary, the heart rate method and the Indian migration study questionnaire in south Indian adults.

Objective: To validate questionnaire-based physical activity level (PAL) against accelerometry and a 24 h physical activity diary (24 h AD) as reference methods (Protocol 2), after validating these reference methods against the heart rate-oxygen consumption (HRVO2) method (Protocol 1).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Two villages in Andhra Pradesh state and Bangalore city, South India.

The repeatability of self reported physical activity patterns in rural South India.

The objective of this study was to develop a physical activity assessment questionnaire for use in poorly educated and low socio-economic rural communities in developing countries and assess the repeatability of the measurements over a one-year duration. Physical Activity Level, as a composite measure of daily physical activity (PAL = estimated 24 hour energy expenditure / estimated basal metabolic rate) was derived from the semi-pictorial, interviewer based questionnaire assessing physical activity over the previous 1 week. PAL of both men and women was unchanged across the different seasons of the year.

Development of food frequency questionnaires and a nutrient database for the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) pilot study in South India: methodological issues.

Purpose: To develop Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) and nutrient databases for urban and rural Indian populations with diverse dietary habits for the PURE (Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological) pilot study.

Procedure: 24 hour dietary recalls were obtained from 84 rural and 60 urban subjects. From a comprehensive food list, separate FFQs were developed for the two groups.

Refinement and validation of an FFQ developed to estimate macro- and micronutrient intakes in a south Indian population.

Objective: Potential error sources in nutrient estimation with the FFQ include inaccurate or biased recall and overestimation or underestimation of intake due to too many or too few items on the FFQ, respectively. Here we report the refinement of an FFQ that overestimated nutrient intake and its validation against multiple 24 h recalls.

Study Design: Data on 2527 participants in south India (Trivandrum) were available for the original FFQ (OFFQ) that overestimated nutrient intake (132 food items).