Health Awareness in Marginalised Urban Settings: Understanding Communicable and Non-Communicable Disease Knowledge in Southern India

Background Limited awareness of Communicable Diseases (CD) and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) contributes to underdiagnosis, delayed treatment and poor health seeking behaviour, particularly in underserved urban slum populations. This study aimed to assess awareness levels of key CDs and NCDs among residents of urban slums in a major south Indian city and propose strategies for improving health literacy. Methods A cross‑sectional survey was conducted using a random sample from five urban slums. Participant’s awareness and perception regarding key CDs and NCDs were assessed using a standardized questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Chi‑square tests were used to assess the association between disease awareness and sociodemographic factors. Multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted to identify significant predictors of awareness. Results Of the 2,173 individuals interviewed (response rate: 98.4%), awareness on NCDs was relatively high – 91.8% for hypertension, 85.6% for cancer, 79% for diabetes and 68.1% for depression. In contrast, awareness for CDs was notably lower – 52.4% for tuberculosis, 51.3% for dengue, 51.1% for diarrhoea, and 46.4% for malaria. Multivariate analysis revealed that awareness of diabetes was significantly higher among daily wage earners (odds ratio (OR) = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.3–2.3) and awareness of hypertension was greater among women (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.1–2.5). For CDs, malaria awareness was marginally higher among those aged over 60 years (OR = 1.2; 95% CI = 0.8–1.7) and tuberculosis awareness was slightly more common among currently married individuals (OR = 1.1; 95% CI = 0.8–1.4). Conclusion Urban slum populations show greater awareness of NCDs over CDs. Addressing this disparity is crucial for public health planning. Targeted awareness campaigns, particularly for CDs, leveraging community health workers and mass media can help bridge the gap and promote equitable health outcomes.