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. 2022 Dec 15;22(1):547.
doi: 10.1186/s12872-022-02970-6.

Association between gender-based violence and hypertension among women in the Kyrgyzstan Republic

Mustapha S Abba  1 , Chidozie U Nduka  2 , Seun Anjorin  2 , Olalekan A Uthman  3   4   5
Affiliations

Association between gender-based violence and hypertension among women in the Kyrgyzstan Republic

Mustapha S Abba et al. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a significant global public health problem and the most prominent human rights violation severely impacting women's health and wellbeing. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the association between gender-based violence and hypertension in Kyrgyzstan Republic.

Methods: This study was conducted using population-based data of women from the 2018 Kyrgyzstan Demographic and Health Survey. The odds ratio was calculated to measure the association between GBV and hypertension, and p-values < 0.005 was considered statistically significant.

Result: We included data of 4793 participants, and 621 (13%) of them had hypertension. Participants exposed to GBV were 24% more likely to have hypertension than unexposed participants (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03-1.48). Of all women with hypertension, 206 (33.0%) were exposed to GBV. Participants with secondary education or higher exposed to GBV were 24% more likely to be hypertensive than GBV unexposed women with the same education levels OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04-1.49). Unemployed participants exposed to GBV were 45% more likely to develop hypertension than their unexposed counterparts (OR = 1.45, 95%CI: 1.15-1.81). Rural residents exposed to GBV were also 29% more likely to have hypertension than those unexposed to GBV (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04-1.59). The odds of hypertension among those exposed to GBV increase with age.

Conclusion: The study revealed that GBV is a significant factor of having hypertension among Kyrgyz women.

Keywords: Domestic violence; Gender-based violence; Hypertension; Intimate partner violence; Kyrgyz Republic.

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Conflict of interest statement

We have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Age trajectories of hypertension (htn) among participants exposed to gender-based violence versus unexposed participants unexposed to gender-based violence. *IPV = 0 = unexposed to IPV, and IPV = 1 = exposed to IPV, *Pr = probability, *IPV = Intimate partner violence
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Association of gender-based violence with hypertension by subgroups
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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