Prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors in urban slums: A community based cross sectional study in India

Abstract

Hypertension is a global public health issue. Being a silent killer, very rarely symptoms are seen in the early stages till a severe medical crisis (heart attack, stroke, or chronic kidney disease) occurs. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of hypertension in urban slums and to evaluate the association of hypertension with various modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors. Data were collected by house-to-house visits in the slums. Pro forma created in the Magpi app was used to collect demographic characteristics and record anthropometric findings. SPSS version 25 was used for statistical analysis. Of the 534 participants, 71.91% were female. The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 15.36%. The risk of hypertension increased with age >50 years, female gender, and habits such as tobacco and alcohol. Awareness programs to reduce modifiable risk factors such as smoking and alcohol, promoting healthy lifestyles, as well as early diagnosis and treatment, will benefit the community.

Keywords: Alcohol; body mass index; hypertension; prevalence; tobacco; waist-to-hip ratio.