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Prevalence, awareness and factors associated with hypertension in North West Tanzania

Mosha, Neema R. ; Mahande, Michael ; Juma, Adinan ; Mboya, Innocent LU orcid ; Peck, Rob ; Urassa, Mark ; Michael, Denna and Todd, Jim (2017) In Global Health Action 10(1). p.1-9
Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a public health problem, and yet few people are aware of it and even fewer access effective treatment. With the ongoing demographic transition in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, people are changing from rural, manual work to urban lifestyles, hence the risk of hypertension increases. Objective: This study aimed at determining the prevalence, awareness and risk factors associated with hypertension in North West Tanzania. Design: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adults in Magu District in 2013. Information on socio-demographic, economic and lifestyle characteristics, medical conditions, and risk factors for hypertension were collected according to the WHO Steps survey tool.... (More)

Background: Hypertension is a public health problem, and yet few people are aware of it and even fewer access effective treatment. With the ongoing demographic transition in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, people are changing from rural, manual work to urban lifestyles, hence the risk of hypertension increases. Objective: This study aimed at determining the prevalence, awareness and risk factors associated with hypertension in North West Tanzania. Design: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adults in Magu District in 2013. Information on socio-demographic, economic and lifestyle characteristics, medical conditions, and risk factors for hypertension were collected according to the WHO Steps survey tool. Measurements of blood pressure, blood sugar, pulse rate, and anthropometry were taken. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for factors associated with hypertension (Blood pressure =140/90mm/Hg). Frequencies and percentages were used to determine the awareness, and treatment among hypertensive participants. Results: Among 9678 participants, the prevalence of hypertension was 8.0% and pre-hypertension 36.2%. There was a higher prevalence of hypertension at older ages, among females (8.2%) compared to males (7.7%), and among urban dwellers (10.1%) compared to rural residents (6.8%). Overweight, obese, and diabetic individuals had a higher risk of hypertension while HIV positive participants had a lower risk of hypertension (OR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.39 - 0.79). Among participants with hypertension, awareness was less than 10%. Conclusion: By integrating blood pressure screening into our long-standing community HIV screening program, we were able to identify many previously undiagnosed cases of hypertension and pre-hypertension. Age, residence, overweight and obesity were the major associated factors for hypertension. Awareness and treatment rates are very low indicating the need for programs to improve awareness, and treatment of hypertension.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Adult, Community-based, Hypertension, Prevalence, Risk factors, Tanzania
in
Global Health Action
volume
10
issue
1
article number
1321279
pages
1 - 9
publisher
Co-Action Publishing
external identifiers
  • pmid:28598724
  • scopus:85028531728
ISSN
1654-9716
DOI
10.1080/16549716.2017.1321279
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2017 The Author(s).
id
4ccdb334-ec4f-471f-bde1-ef7b38b7c5bd
date added to LUP
2022-09-29 10:08:56
date last changed
2024-06-13 19:48:02
@article{4ccdb334-ec4f-471f-bde1-ef7b38b7c5bd,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Hypertension is a public health problem, and yet few people are aware of it and even fewer access effective treatment. With the ongoing demographic transition in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, people are changing from rural, manual work to urban lifestyles, hence the risk of hypertension increases. Objective: This study aimed at determining the prevalence, awareness and risk factors associated with hypertension in North West Tanzania. Design: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adults in Magu District in 2013. Information on socio-demographic, economic and lifestyle characteristics, medical conditions, and risk factors for hypertension were collected according to the WHO Steps survey tool. Measurements of blood pressure, blood sugar, pulse rate, and anthropometry were taken. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for factors associated with hypertension (Blood pressure =140/90mm/Hg). Frequencies and percentages were used to determine the awareness, and treatment among hypertensive participants. Results: Among 9678 participants, the prevalence of hypertension was 8.0% and pre-hypertension 36.2%. There was a higher prevalence of hypertension at older ages, among females (8.2%) compared to males (7.7%), and among urban dwellers (10.1%) compared to rural residents (6.8%). Overweight, obese, and diabetic individuals had a higher risk of hypertension while HIV positive participants had a lower risk of hypertension (OR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.39 - 0.79). Among participants with hypertension, awareness was less than 10%. Conclusion: By integrating blood pressure screening into our long-standing community HIV screening program, we were able to identify many previously undiagnosed cases of hypertension and pre-hypertension. Age, residence, overweight and obesity were the major associated factors for hypertension. Awareness and treatment rates are very low indicating the need for programs to improve awareness, and treatment of hypertension.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mosha, Neema R. and Mahande, Michael and Juma, Adinan and Mboya, Innocent and Peck, Rob and Urassa, Mark and Michael, Denna and Todd, Jim}},
  issn         = {{1654-9716}},
  keywords     = {{Adult; Community-based; Hypertension; Prevalence; Risk factors; Tanzania}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{1--9}},
  publisher    = {{Co-Action Publishing}},
  series       = {{Global Health Action}},
  title        = {{Prevalence, awareness and factors associated with hypertension in North West Tanzania}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2017.1321279}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/16549716.2017.1321279}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}