TRINIDAD IS ONE OF CARICOM WEALTHIEST ISLAND. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY RATES ARE INCREASING HIGH DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.

TRINIDAD IS ONE OF CARICOM WEALTHIEST ISLAND. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY RATES ARE INCREASING HIGH DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.

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Proposed Research Topic   

The research topic is that Trinidad is one of CARICOM's wealthiest islands; unfortunately, the morbidity and mortality rates are increasing high due to the presence of non-communicable diseases. According to Oladele, Thompson, Zhang, & Nunez-Smith (2017); and Maharaj, Teelucksingh, Chow, & De Freitas (2018, Pg. 123), Trinidad has a high rate of morbidity attributable to non-communicable diseases. Other illnesses contributing to the high rates in Trinidad Island include myocardial infarctions, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and cardiac illnesses (Bahall, Seemungal, Khan, & Legall, 2019; Ludwick & Neri, 2019; & Rambaran et al., 2019). In Trinidad Island, poverty is among the drivers of NCD and its development can result in catastrophic health expenses thus leading to the impoverishment of the families. The poor have a problem when it comes to buying healthy foods and since there is cheap access of obesogenic food facilities, they have increased consumption of such food, which results in a high obesity rate.  NCDS places an economic burden in Trinidad Island. According to MOH (2017), the burden that hypertension, diabetes and cancer poses on Trinidad Island’s economy is about TT$8.7 billion yearly. That is about 5% of their GDP. Trinidad Island has the one of the highest rate of NCDs globally. Heart diseases are the leading cause of death in the nation, followed by diabetes, cancer and cerebrovascular diseases. In the united nations, the NCDS are also widely spread and are known to kill many people from children to adults (WBG, 2017). Therefore, Trinidad being a country on its own, cannot escape the situation, but the increase in the number of deaths is causing a drop in the economy thus, affecting the whole country’s performance.

Morbidity and mortality rates are high in Trinidad, despite the country enjoying a reputable financial outlook. According to Warner et al., (2018), prostate cancer among men is on the rise, and related deaths at an alarming rate. Umakanthan, Chattu, and Kalloo (2019) argue that cancer risk in the Trinidad area is historically common, characterized by a high number of women with ovarian cancer. There is also the problem of food-related chronic illnesses and lifestyle diseases that affect residents (Ludwick & Neri, 2019). Therefore, there is a need to investigate the high-risk factors contributing to morbidity and mortality in Trinidad to develop preventive approaches and practices to improve health outcomes.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

Several theories show how non-communicable diseases and increased mortality and morbidity affects the economy. The first theory is the behavioral theory, where one’s lifestyle contributes to their health problems. For instance, a person who has been smoking for the last ten years is likely to suffer from chronic respiratory diseases. There are also some behavioral risk factors associated with the NCDS (Salwa et al., 2019).  When an individual has one of the illness, they tend to spend more money on the medication than meeting their basic requirements (Simpson & Camorlinga, 2017). It will also lead to poor income management as one will use the finance to cater for the medical bills.

The other applicable theory is the social gradient, which states that individuals in high socioeconomic status have better health results compared to those with the lower social-economic class. People with low standards of living has more chances to contract noncommunicable diseases than the one with high income (Bahall, 2018 Pg. 84). It is therefore common for needy individuals who has the conditions to lack the basic needs and thus, contributing to many negatives impact on society and the country in general (WBG, 2017). In Trinidad, people from slums and other isolated places are more likely to contract the diseases than those with high standards of living (Yang, Mamudu, & John, 2018). With the theory, it is hard for the government to create job opportunities as individuals are leaving their places of work due to their health conditions leading to less-experienced staff who cause losses to the organizations.

Research Gap

Based on the theories, it is evident that the problem of non-communicable diseases does not only arise due to lifestyle but can also be due to other external factors. The disorders are hard to control as professionals concentrate on preventing lifestyle and behavioral factors, leaving the others (Yang, Mamudu, & John, 2018). Therefore, it is difficult for the health department to incorporate the control measures, thus causing the diseases to cause pre-mature souls. Deaths due to non-communicable diseases do not occur due to the level of social class but rather how far the condition has reached (Javanparast, Windle, Freeman & Baum, 2018). If the situation was severe, the more likely the death and vice versa. The government is also trying to invest in ways to prevent diseases (Nugent et al., 2018).

Research Questions

1.      Why are non-communicable diseases difficult to control?

2.      Do lifestyle modifications reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases?

3.      What are the measures that should be taken to reduce the mortality rates?

4.      Why do the non-communicable diseases affect the economy negatively?

Hypothesis

The hypothesis for the research is that lifestyle modification prevents the development of noncommunicable diseases. According to Sutherland (2017), lifestyle is a critical risk factor and can be a preventive basis (Simpson & Camorlinga, 2017).

Proposed Methodology

Sources data are primary and secondary sources which included people who have suffered or medical institution that has admitted such patients. It was also important to advise people being involved in giving accurate details to avoid biased information. The organization also provided financial support to ensure the research is successful. The sources of data will be newspapers, books, periodical reviews, and any other written material concerning the same problem (Liberty, 2019). There is also a need for analysis to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the information.

The method of data collection employed was interviews and the use of questionnaires. It was also necessary to use information from past researches — people with non-communicable diseases about the challenges they face when struggling with their illnesses. The quizzes will be given out to a selected population whose views and feedback will be sampled to find the actual connection between the NCDs and the economy of Trinidad. 

The dependent variable in the research is the mortality and morbidity rate, while the independent one is the non-communicable diseases. They are related in such a way that the independent variable determines how the rates of death vary. The increase in contraction of the NCDS, the higher the mortality rates (Bahall, Seemungal, Khan, & Legall, 2019). The prevention and control measures of the diseases have become a challenge to the government (UNDP, 2017). The government and the world are working toward finding a stable preventive solution to the disorders. Therefore, the independent variable has more weight than the dependent ones.

The data can be collected from medical institutions where the patients are admitted to evaluate the number of people present in each hospital. It will also be accessible to analyses how the conditions can be handled and discover what causes them. Bank can also be a source of information to show how the money is being allocated in the health sector.  The data will be analyzed to ensure that accurate information is delivered.

It will also be essential to use information from other sources as some will give a guideline toward what is required and expected in the research. With the data, it is easier to find what part should be emphasized in the study. For instance, the review by (Oladele, Thompson, Zhang & Nunez-Smith, 2017), the population with cardiovascular diseases is the main challenge in Trinidad. Therefore, the research should focus more on controlling the diseases to avoid the deaths, thus promoting the economy. Some policies and initiatives should also be put in place to ensure that all the factors contributing to noncommunicable diseases are overcome and thus reduced the number of deaths.

Summary

            The research will be conducted full-time top ensure both the theoretical and practical data are well represented. Using the resources and information learned about research methodology will provide the data collected is accurate to avoid biased information. The research will contribute to 70% of what is learned in class being practiced thus should be given the maximum concentration possible.

References

Bahall, M. (2018). Health equity and access to health care in Trinidad and Tobago. World J Pub Health, 3, 83-92.

Bahall, M. (2019). Prevalence and associations of depression among patients with cardiac diseases in a public health institute in Trinidad and Tobago. BMC psychiatry, 19(1), 4.

Bahall, M., Seemungal, T., Khan, K., & Legall, G. (2019). Medical care of acute myocardial infarction patients in a resource limiting country, Trinidad: a cross-sectional retrospective study. BMC health services research, 19(1), 501.

Javanparast, S., Windle, A., Freeman, T., & Baum, F. (2018). Community health worker programs to improve healthcare access and equity: are they only relevant to low-and middle-income countries?. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 7(10), 943.

Liberty, D. (2019). Five techniques to take your data analysis to another level l Sisense. Retrieved from https://www.sisense.com/blog/5-techniques-take-data-analysis-another-level/

Ludwick, T., & Neri, D. (2019). Research on food-related chronic diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean: Are we building the evidence for gender-equitable approaches? Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 43.

Maharaj, R. G., Teelucksingh, S., Chow, H., & De Freitas, L. (2018). Screening for non-communicable diseases at a walk-in clinic in Trinidad and Tobago: A Time-motion Cross-sectional Study and Net Present Value Analysis. West Indian Medical Journal, 67(2).

MOH (2017). National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non Communicable diseases: Trinidad and Tobago 2017 – 2021. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov.tt/downloads/DownloadItem.aspx?id=385

Nugent, R., Bertram, M. Y., Jan, S., Niessen, L. W., Sassi, F., Jamison, D. T., ... & Beaglehole, R. (2018). Investing in non-communicable disease prevention and management to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. The Lancet, 391(10134), 2029-2035.

Oladele, C., Thompson, T., Zhang, E., & Nunez-Smith, M. (2017). Population-Based Surveillance for Cardiovascular Disease in the Caribbean: Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Approaches. Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports, 11(1). doi: 10.1007/s12170-017-0529-6

Rambaran, K., Bhagan, B., Ali, A., Ali, F., Toolsie, S., Lobin, R., ... & Sakhamuri, S. (2019). High prevalence of diabetes mellitus in a cohort of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in trinidad, West Indies. Turkish thoracic journal, 20(1), 12.

Salwa, M., Atiqul Haque, M., Khalequzzaman, M., Al Mamun, M., Bhuiyan, M., & Choudhury, S. (2019). Towards reducing behavioral risk factors of non-communicable diseases among adolescents: protocol for a school-based health education program in Bangladesh. BMC Public Health, 19(1). doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7229-8

Simpson, O., & G. Camorlinga, S. (2017). A Framework to Study the Emergence of Non-Communicable Diseases. Retrieved from https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/280203/1-s2.0-

Sutherland, M. E. (2017). Palliative care: theory, research, and treatment in the English-speaking Caribbean Region. West Indian Med J, 66(6), 715.

Umakanthan, S., Chattu, V. K., & Kalloo, S. (2019). Global epidemiology, risk factors, and histological types of ovarian cancers in Trinidad. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 8(3), 1058.

UNDP, United Nations Development Program (2017). Preventing and controlling non-communicable Diseases. Retrieved from https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hiv-aids/preventing-and-controlling-non-communicable-diseases0.html

UNDP, United Nations Development Program (2017). Situation analysis of children in Trinidad and Tobago. Retrieved from https://www.undp.org/content/dam/unct/caribbean/docs/SitAN%20Trinidad%202018%20WEB%20(1).pdf

Warner, W. A., Lee, T. Y., Fang, F., Llanos, A. A., Bajracharya, S., Sundaram, V., ... & Ragin, C. (2018). The burden of prostate cancer in Trinidad and Tobago: one of the highest mortality rates in the world. Cancer Causes & Control, 29(7), 685-697.

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WHO, World Health Organization, (2018). Noncommunicable diseases. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases

WBG, World Bank Group (2017). Cause of death, by communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions (% of total). Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DTH.COMM.ZS

Yang, J., Mamudu, H., & John, R. (2018). Incorporating a structural approach to reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases. Globalization and Health, 14(1). doi: 10.1186/s12992-018-0380-7