Correlates of obesity indices and systemic arterial hypertension in adult Nigerians: a community based study

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the correlation between indices of obesity and systemic arterial hypertension in adult Nigerians.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive survey and was carried out in Abia state, southeast Nigeria. Two thousand nine hundred and ninety nine (2,999) subjects, aged =18years were selected by a multi-stage sampling technique from six Local Government Areas of Abia state, south east Nigeria. The World Health Organization Stepwise Approach to Surveillance of chronic disease risk factors was used. Body mass index, anthropometric measurements, and other relevant data were collected.
Results: Two thousand eight hundred and seven subjects (2,807) gave all the relevant data required. The prevalence of hypertension by three obesity indices, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist to hip ratio (WHR) was 16.7%, 27.2%, 42.3% respectively. The correlation coefficient (r) of the obesity indices with systolic BP for BMI was 0.141 and 0.110, for WC was 0.182 and 0.198, and for WHR was 0.130 and 0.167, in males and females respectively. The r coefficient of the obesity indices with diastolic BP for BMI was 0.205 and 0.171, for WC was 0.182 and 0.217, and for WHR was 123 and 0.118 in males and females respectively. The odds ratio of obesity indices with BP for BMI was 1.54, and 1.06, for WC was 1.72 and 2.13 and for WHR was 1.48 and 1.47 for males and females respectively. The OR of obesity indices with diastolic BP for BMI was 1.41 and 1.40, for WC was 1.14 and 1.40, and for WHR was 1.28, and 1.20 in males and females respectively.
Conclusion: There exit a weak relationship between the indices of obesity and BP.

Keywords: Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, Waist to Hip Ratio, Hypertension