Prevalence and determinants of hypertension in MBBS students of Govt. Medical College, Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh

Introduction: Hypertension or increased blood pressure is a major public health problem in India. Medical students are very susceptible to hypertension. Objectives: 1) To estimate the prevalence of hypertension among medical students. 2) To identify the determinants of hypertension. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study done among the students of Govt. Medical College Kannauj. A total of 558 subjects, aged 17 to 21 years, 305 boys and 253 girls were included. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression. Results: Prevalence of hypertension among medical students was 18.5%. A significant association of hypertension with males (OR=0.328), family history of hypertension (OR=2.812) level of physical activity (OR=0.395) and BMI (OR=3.710) and academic performance (OR=2.611) was observed. Conclusions: A high prevalence of hypertension was found among medical students. BMI and physical activity are the modifiable factors associated with hypertension which can be addressed to reduce the magnitude of hypertension in this study group.