High Blood Pressure and Depression Among the Working Population of Ghana: A Generalized Linear Model of the Risk Factors

Abstract

Background. The global presence of high blood pressure and depression poses a significant public health threat, particularly in emerging nations. High blood pressure and depression are inevitable among the working population of Ghana, and it is crucial to recognize the potential influence of these conditions on the working-age population.

Materials and Methods. The study analyzed the risk factors associated with high blood pressure and depression among the working population of Ghana. The data in this study were drawn from Wave 1 data of the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) survey, which was conducted by World Health Organization (WHO) in Ghana from January 2007 to December 2008. A longitudinal survey under the banner of SAGE was conducted. The study used 2681 participants aged 18–60 years. We modeled high blood pressure using logistic regression and depression with the proportional odds model of ordinal logistic regression.

Results. The study revealed that the prevalence of depression among the working-age population was 42.5%, whereas that of high blood pressure was 48.7%. The result also showed that males have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure and depression (OR = 0.851 and OR = 0.658, respectively) compared with females. Also, older adults (40–60 years) have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and depression (OR = 1.992 and OR = 2.334, respectively) compared with younger adults. Other risk factors associated with high blood pressure include diabetes (2.107), depression, and weight. Last, alcohol intake (1.502), tobacco intake (1.279), and high blood pressure were found to be other risk factors associated with depression.

Conclusion. The prevalence of depression and high blood pressure is high among the working population of Ghana. There is therefore the need to incorporate health awareness programs on these topics.