Baseline characteristics of the intention-to-treat population
| Baseline characteristics | Intervention group | Control group | ||||||
| India | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | UK | India | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | UK | |
| Women | ||||||||
| Number of participants | 202 | 217 | 324 | 125 | 224 | 306 | 273 | 140 |
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 47.4 (42.6–53.4) | 48.9 (44.1–55.1) | 54.5 (47.6–59.7) | 60.1 (50.9–65.8) | 49.9 (45.3–57.1) | 50.3 (45.1–55.4) | 51.7 (46.6–59.8) | 61.1 (52.9–66.4) |
| Setting, (%) n | ||||||||
| Urban | 37.6% (76) | 74.2% (161) | 45.4% (147) | 100.0% (125) | 41.1% (92) | 45.8% (140) | 60.8% (166) | 100.0% (140) |
| Semi-urban | 14.9% (30) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 6.7% (15) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) |
| Rural | 47.5% (96) | 25.8% (56) | 54.6% (177) | 0.0% (0) | 52.2% (117) | 54.2% (166) | 39.2% (107) | 0.0% (0) |
| Schooling, (%) n | ||||||||
| Not reported | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 72.0% (90) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 62.9% (88) |
| No schooling | 5.9% (12) | 38.2% (83) | 1.5% (5) | 0.8% (1) | 10.7% (24) | 57.5% (176) | 0.7% (2) | 2.9% (4) |
| Primary school | 9.9% (20) | 21.7% (47) | 11.4% (37) | 6.4% (8) | 12.9% (29) | 13.1% (40) | 15.4% (42) | 7.9% (11) |
| Secondary school | 12.4% (25) | 11.5% (25) | 56.8% (184) | 3.2% (4) | 12.9% (29) | 11.8% (36) | 54.9% (150) | 4.3% (6) |
| High school | 21.3% (43) | 16.6% (36) | 28.4% (92) | 8.0% (10) | 20.5% (46) | 11.8% (36) | 24.5% (67) | 13.6% (19) |
| University degree | 33.7% (68) | 7.8% (17) | 1.2% (4) | 6.4% (8) | 25.9% (58) | 4.9% (15) | 4.4% (12) | 3.6% (5) |
| Postgraduate | 16.8% (34) | 4.1% (9) | 0.6% (2) | 3.2% (4) | 17.0% (38) | 1.0% (3) | 0.0% (0) | 5.0% (7) |
| Weight (kg), mean (SD) | 76.6 (10.7) | 80.9 (14.5) | 69.3 (10.6) | 79.2 (12.5) | 72.8 (11.9) | 79.2 (13.9) | 69.3 (9.9) | 78.0 (11.6) |
| BMI (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 31.5 (4.0) | 33.1 (5.3) | 29.5 (4.1) | 32.2 (5.2) | 30.6 (4.9) | 32.7 (5.5) | 29.3 (4.0) | 31.9 (4.5) |
| Waist circumference (cm), mean (SD) | 105.8 (6.8) | 104.2 (9.5) | 98.0 (8.7) | 105.0 (10.1) | 104.3 (7.0) | 104.6 (10.4) | 96.9 (8.7) | 106.0 (9.0) |
| SBP (mm Hg), mean (SD) | 127.9 (15.2) | 123.0 (15.5) | 130.2 (17.6) | 135.2 (17.6) | 131.5 (14.1) | 128.0 (18.6) | 130.4 (16.3) | 135.1 (17.8) |
| DBP (mm Hg), mean (SD) | 78.7 (7.8) | 79.5 (9.7) | 79.2 (10.3) | 81.2 (9.0) | 80.3 (7.7) | 81.9 (11.2) | 79.1 (9.8) | 80.1 (9.5) |
| HbA1c (%), mean (SD) | 5.6 (0.5) | 5.9 (0.3) | 5.9 (0.3) | 5.8 (0.4) | 5.6 (0.5) | 5.8 (0.4) | 5.9 (0.4) | 5.8 (0.4) |
| Smoking status % (n) | ||||||||
| Never | 100.0% (202) | 100.0% (217) | 100.0% (324) | 96.0% (120) | 99.6% (223) | 99.7% (305) | 100.0% (273) | 97.1% (136) |
| Ex-smoker | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 2.4% (3) | 0.4% (1) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 1.4% (2) |
| Current smoker | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 1.6% (2) | 0.0% (0) | 0.3% (1) | 0.0% (0) | 1.4% (2) |
| Alcohol consumption last month % (n) | ||||||||
| No | 99.0% (200) | 100.0% (217) | 99.4% (322) | 81.6% (102) | 100.0% (224) | 100.0% (306) | 99.6% (272) | 85.0% (119) |
| Yes | 1.0% (2) | 0.0% (0) | 0.6% (2) | 18.4% (23) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.4% (1) | 15.0% (21) |
| Physical activity (MET/week), median (IQR) | 0 (0–260) | 0 (0–840) | 840 (160–3360) | 600 (0–1330) | 0 (0–80) | 0 (0–870) | 480 (60–3360) | 410 (0–1090) |
| Sedentary (min/week), median (IQR) | 480 (240–600) | 420 (300–485) | 180 (120–330) | 240 (165–360) | 480 (240–480) | 360 (300–540) | 180 (120–360) | 240 (146–315) |
| Men | ||||||||
| Number of participants | 259 | 284 | 153 | 269 | 224 | 258 | 130 | 282 |
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 48.4 (42.7–56.3) | 51.5 (46.2–58.2) | 53.0 (46.6–60.7) | 60.4 (51.4–65.9) | 50.3 (43.7–56.3) | 52.6 (47.2–58.0) | 51.3 (46.9–57.3) | 60.1 (52.6–66.3) |
| Setting % (n) | ||||||||
| Urban | 47.5% (123) | 73.7% (213) | 40.5% (62) | 100.0% (269) | 40.6% (91) | 57.5% (153) | 68.5% (89) | 100.0% (282) |
| Semi-urban | 11.6% (30) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 6.7% (15) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) |
| Rural | 40.9% (106) | 26.3% (76) | 59.5% (91) | 0.0% (0) | 52.7% (118) | 42.5% (113) | 31.5% (41) | 0.0% (0) |
| Schooling % (n) | ||||||||
| Not reported | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 79.2% (213) | 0.0% (0) | 0.4% (1) | 0.0% (0) | 65.6% (185) |
| No schooling | 0.4% (1) | 19.7% (57) | 0.7% (1) | 0.4% (1) | 1.8% (4) | 25.1% (67) | 0.0% (0) | 0.4% (1) |
| Primary school | 4.2% (11) | 17.0% (49) | 6.5% (10) | 0.0% (0) | 5.8% (13) | 15.7% (42) | 13.8% (18) | 3.2% (9) |
| Secondary school | 18.5% (48) | 28.4% (82) | 61.4% (94) | 5.2% (14) | 15.6% (35) | 23.6% (63) | 49.2% (64) | 5.7% (16) |
| High school | 9.7% (25) | 20.1% (58) | 28.8% (44) | 4.8% (13) | 19.2% (43) | 20.6% (55) | 26.9% (35) | 9.9% (28) |
| University degree | 44.4% (115) | 13.1% (38) | 2.6% (4) | 7.8% (21) | 37.9% (85) | 11.2% (30) | 8.5% (11) | 12.4% (35) |
| Postgraduate | 22.8% (59) | 1.7% (5) | 0.0% (0) | 2.6% (7) | 19.6% (44) | 3.4% (9) | 1.5% (2) | 2.8% (8) |
| Weight (kg), mean (SD) | 85.8 (12.0) | 84.7 (13.6) | 76.6 (10.1) | 87.9 (12.5) | 81.7 (11.4) | 84.0 (13.7) | 78.1 (10.4) | 88.3 (12.1) |
| BMI (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 29.8 (3.8) | 29.6 (4.4) | 27.5 (3.1) | 29.8 (3.8) | 28.8 (3.6) | 29.5 (4.5) | 28.0 (3.2) | 30.1 (3.6) |
| Waist circumference (cm), mean (SD) | 107.0 (7.5) | 105.7 (9.3) | 98.4 (7.5) | 107.2 (8.7) | 104.9 (8.0) | 105.6 (9.8) | 99.4 (7.2) | 108.0 (8.3) |
| SBP (mm Hg), mean (SD) | 131.7 (13.5) | 130.1 (19.4) | 133.0 (15.3) | 136.1 (16.5) | 134.0 (15.9) | 129.3 (18.8) | 133.9 (18.0) | 136.0 (15.4) |
| DBP (mm Hg), mean (SD) | 82.6 (9.6) | 82.7 (11.9) | 80.4 (10.5) | 83.3 (10.1) | 83.3 (10.2) | 83.0 (12.1) | 80.8 (12.2) | 83.1 (9.4) |
| HbA1c (%), mean (SD) | 5.6 (0.5) | 5.9 (0.4) | 5.8 (0.4) | 5.7 (0.4) | 5.6 (0.5) | 5.8 (0.4) | 5.7 (0.5) | 5.7 (0.4) |
| Smoking status, % (n) | ||||||||
| Never | 88.8% (230) | 67.5% (195) | 62.1% (95) | 73.6% (198) | 90.6% (203) | 64.4% (172) | 50.0% (65) | 75.9% (214) |
| Ex-smoker | 3.5% (9) | 19.7% (57) | 26.1% (40) | 18.2% (49) | 1.8% (4) | 19.1% (51) | 28.5% (37) | 17.0% (48) |
| Current smoker | 7.7% (20) | 12.8% (37) | 11.8% (18) | 8.2% (22) | 7.6% (17) | 16.5% (44) | 21.5% (28) | 7.1% (20) |
| Alcohol consumption last month, % (n) | ||||||||
| No | 70.3% (182) | 99.7% (288) | 51.0% (78) | 43.5% (117) | 77.2% (173) | 99.6% (266) | 50.0% (65) | 52.5% (148) |
| Yes | 29.7% (77) | 0.3% (1) | 49.0% (75) | 56.5% (152) | 22.8% (51) | 0.4% (1) | 50.0% (65) | 47.5% (134) |
| Physical activity (MET/week), median (IQR) | 0 (0–25) | 220 (0–1275) | 1120 (160–3840) | 800 (250–1920) | 0 (0–7) | 420 (0–1680) | 1470 (120–4210) | 720 (220–1800) |
| Sedentary (min/week), median (IQR) | 480 (360–480) | 420 (300–600) | 240 (120–480) | 300 (180–420) | 480 (360–480) | 420 (300–600) | 240 (180–480) | 300 (180–440) |
Data are mean (SD), median (IQR) or % (n). METs calculated as vigorous activity × 8, moderate activity × 4.16
BMI, body mass index; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HbA1c, haemoglobin A1c; MET, metabolic equivalent; SBP, systolic blood pressure.