Age and sex differences in factors associated with hypertension among an urban poor population in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study explores the differences in factors associated with hypertension between younger and older subjects in an urban slum community in Bangladesh. We analyzed the data of 1,008 men and 1,001 women obtained from a cross-sectional survey conducted between October 2015 and April 2016. Multivariable logistic regression models were stratified by age (18 to 44 and 45 to 64 years) in men and women separately. The multivariable model included age (continuous) and the following categorical variables simultaneously: education duration, marital status, tobacco smoking, smokeless tobacco use, total physical activity, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and the blood levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides, high- and low-density lipoprotein (HDL and LDL) cholesterol. Hypertension was defined as the presence of either blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg or the use of antihypertensive medication. The prevalence of hypertension was 13.0% (younger men), 14.6% (younger women), 35.6% (older men), and 38.7% (older women). In younger men, higher waist circumference and increased LDL cholesterol levels were significantly associated with hypertension. In older men, physical activity was the only significant factor that was inversely associated with hypertension. In younger women, higher BMI, increased HbA1c, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol levels were associated with hypertension. In older women, a higher HbA1c was the only factor significantly associated with hypertension. These findings suggest that public health interventions to prevent hypertension may require different approaches according to sex and age groups within the poor urban population in Bangladesh.

Keywords: age groups; hypertension; obesity; risk factors; urban poor.