PREVALENCE OF UNDIAGNOSED HYPERTENSION AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AMONG ADULTS IN GAJIDA TOWN, NIGERIA

Hypertension is a world health problem which is strongly related with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and premature deaths. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and associated risk factors among adults in Gajida town. The blood pressure (BP) of 364 participants was measured. Risk factors of high BP (age, gender, obesity, occupational stress, family history, educational level, dietary habits and smoking) were assessed. The data obtained was analyzed using both descriptive and interferential statistics. The descriptive (mean, standard deviation & percentage) and inferential (Pearson, Spearman & Mann-Whitney-U) statistics were used to summarize/analyze the data at P<0.05 using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) (version 16.0). Out of 364 participants, 185 (50.8%) were males and 179 (49.2%) were females. On average, participant's age was 33 years, systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 110 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 80 mm Hg and BMI was 19.96 kg/m2. About 153 (41.9%) of the participants were housewives and 138 (37.9%) were not educated. Prevalence of undiagnosed HTN was 23.6%. Gender, age, BMI, and educational level were found to be associated significantly (P ≤ 0.05) with HTN. Occupational stress, history of HTN, family history of HTN, dietary habits and smoking showed no significant relationship (p ≥ 0.05). A moderate prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was found among adults in Gajida town. Hypertension is associated with gender, age, BMI, and educational level. There is a need to detect and manage cases of undiagnosed hypertension through regular measurements.