Material and methods Characteristics of study population The entire adult population (patients 16 years or older) of two PHC doctors practices in Kaunas were invited to participate in study. Approval from the Kaunas University of Medicine Ethics Committee was obtained and participants signed a written informed consent prior to examination. Patients from one practice were intervention community, patients from another practice - control community. In intervention community 1219 patients 16 years or older participated in first survey (506 men and 713 women, response rate 87.1%), in control community – 1068 patients (439 men and 629 women, response rate 87.1%). Intervention, oriented to improve control of risk factors of NCD, was integrated into the PHC team daily practice during one year in intervention community. Control community was receiving usual PHC. After one year (in 2000) all participants of first survey were invited to participate in second survey. Each survey followed the same methods. In intervention community 1069 patients (506 men and 713 women, response rate 87.7%) participated in second survey, in control community - 940 patients (439 men and 629 women, response rate 88.0%). There was no difference between communities concerning age and sex distribution of participants (table 2.1.1). Table 2.1.1 Distribution of respondents by age and sex in intervention and control communities Age,years Intervention community Control community Men women total men women... [to full text]