Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) pose a serious global health challenge. The burden of NCDs affects individuals across various demographic categories. Socioeconomic status (SES) has long been recognized as a determinant of health outcomes. Previous research suggests a complex interplay between SES and NCDs, with disparities in prevalence and disease management observed across different socioeconomic strata. This study aims to further examine the association between NCDs and socioeconomic characteristics to inform evidence-based interventions that can effectively mitigate the burden of NCDs. METHODS: this study was a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional dataset collected in 2021 by the Tanzanian National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). The original study assessed willingness and ability to pay for medical insurance. The current study employed quantitative approaches. Logistic regression is used to assess the association between SES and NCDs, adjusting for potential confounders including age, gender, family size, health insurance status, and place of residence. A backward elimination approach was used to retain variables with p < 0.2 in the final model. Socioeconomic status was assessed using an asset index generated through principal component analysis. RESULTS: a total of 3,566 households were analyzed, with a mean age of 38.04 (SD: 11.76), 53.7% of whom were male. The overall prevalence of NCDs was 12.9%. Households in lower SES quintiles had higher NCD prevalence than those in higher SES quintiles, although this association was not statistically significant after adjustment. However, age, larger family size, and lack of health insurance remained statistically significant predictors of NCD prevalence. CONCLUSION: while a clear association was observed between lower SES and NCDs in the univariate analysis, this relationship lost statistical significance after adjusting for demographic and household characteristics. However, age, family size, and lack of health insurance remained significant predictors of NCD prevalence.