Prevalence of some risk factors associated with hypertension among residents of a north central Nigerian state

Abstract

Hypertension is fast becoming a public health problem and has been associated with certain risk factors that have been found to contribute to the increasing rates of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in Sub Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of some risk factors associated with hypertension among residents of Ilorin West Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State, Nigeria. It was a descriptive study conducted among 270 residents in the LGA selected using multistage sampling technique. About 51.5% of respondents had body mass index (BMI) within normal range, while 44.5% were either overweight or obese. Respondents’ mean BMI was 24.97 ±4.56 kg/m². Using Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR), 7.1% of male, 78.5% of female and 45.2% of total respondents had abdominal obesity. Also, average waist circumference among male and female respondents was 82.24 ±11.30 cm and 88.99 ±13.01 cm respectively. Prevalence of familial history of hypertension was found to be 21% among respondents with 50% of them being traced to the father and/or mother. Prevalence of alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption and caffeine intake were 14.1%, 5.9% and 68.5% respectively. Only 5% of respondents consumed copious amounts of salt, while 2% took no salt. Majority (83.3%) of respondents claimed they engage in one form of exercise or the other, everyday and 43% get stressed up performing their daily activities. In conclusion, obesity and stress were the most predominant risk factors associated with hypertension among respondents.

Keywords: Prevalence, Risk factors, hypertension, obesity, salt intake.