Geographical LocationLocation: Southern Asia

Major Features: Himalayas, flat, rolling plains along the Ganges River, upland plains in the South, Thar Desert

Climate: Temperate to Tropical

Size: 7th Largest Country in the World

Major Cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad (Central Intelligence Agency)

Population

Second Most Populous Country in the World: 1,236,344,631Ethnicities: Indo-Aryan 72% (North), Dravidian 25% (South)Official Languages: Hindi & English (at least a dozen others)Religions: 80% Hindu, 13% MuslimMedium Age: 2731% live in urban areas1 in 3 live in poverty

(Central Intelligence Agency)

Chronic Diseases & Vital StatisticsInfectious Risk: Very High -- bacterial diarrhea, dengue fever, viral hepatitis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and malaria.Water: Good drinking water quality; sanitation still needs significant improvement.Access to Medical Care: Approximately 1 physician for every 1,500 people.Births: 2.5 children born per woman.High infant (especially females) mortality (50/1,000) and maternal mortality rate (200/100,000) -- highly skewed sex ratio.(Central Intelligence Agency; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013)

Chronic Diseases and Vital Statistics

Life Expectancy: 67.8 yearsObesity: 11% overweight, 2% obese (2008). Third most obese country in the world.Diabetes: Largest population of diabetics in the world --30 million. Expected to grow to 57 million by 2025. Twice as prevalent in urban areas.Tobacco: 275 million users (2013), 10% of the world’s smokers.(Central Intelligence Agency; India Today, 2014; Mohan & Reddy, 2014; Kelland, K. 2013)

Chronic Diseases & Vital Statistics

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013)

Top 10 Causes of Deaths in India (2006)

1. Ischaemic heart disease 15 % 6. Diarrheal disease 4%

2. Lower respiratory infections 11% 7. Tuberculosis 4%

3. Cerebrovascular disease 7 % 8. HIV/AIDS 3%

4. Perinatal conditions 7% 9. Road traffic accidents 2%

5. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 5% 10. Self-inflicted injuries 2%

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Beegom, R., Singh, R.B. (1996). Association of higher saturated fat intake with higher risk of hypertension in an urban population of Trivandrum in South India. International Journal of Cardiology. Retrieved from http://www.internationaljournalofcardiology.com/article/S0167-5273(96)02842-2/abstract

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ReferencesKelland, K. (2013). Huge Tobacco Use in India Seen Killing 1.5 Million a Year. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/12/us-india-tobacco-idUSBRE98B08K20130912Kittler, P.G., Sucher, K.P., & Nelms, M. (2011). Food and culture (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.Mohan, S. & Reddy, S.(2014). Chronic Diseases in India: Burden & Implications. Swiss Re-Centre for Global Dialogue. Retrieved from http://cgd.swissre.com/global_dialogue/topics/Cardiovascular_risks_in_HGM/Chronic_Diseases_in_India_Burden_and_Implications.htmlSharma, N.C. (2014). India, the Third Most Obese Country in the World. India Today. Retrieved from http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/obesity-india-weighs-third-on-obesity-scale/1/365876.htmlThaker, A., & Barton, A. (2012). Multicultural handbook of food, nutrition and dietetics. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.Sachan, A., Gupta, R., Das, V., Agarwal, A., Awasthi, P. K., Bhatia, V. (2005). High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women and their newborns in northern India. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Retrieved from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/5/1060.short Thankachan, P., Muthayya, S., Walczyk, T., Kurpad, A. V., Hurrell, R. F. (2007). An analysis of the etiology of anemia and iron deficiency in young women of low socioeconomic status in Bengalore, India. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, volume 28 (number 3). Retrieved from http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nsinf/fnb/2007/00000028/00000003/art00009