Prevalence and Predictors of Hypertension among Company Workers in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background/ObjectiveHypertension, “the silent killer,” is an important preventable cause of premature morbidity and mortality globally. This condition has become a major non-communicable disease threatening sub-Saharan Africa, and its prevalence is rising in middle and low-income countries. This study objective was to determine the prevalence and predictors of hypertension among company workers in Rivers State, NigeriaMethodsThis analytical and cross-sectional study used a multi-stage sampling technique to recruit 296 company workers in Rivers State, Nigeria. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain the respondents’ demographics, lifestyle, and healthcare characteristics. Respondents’ weight and height were measured using standard procedures. Blood pressure was determined by standard practice and criteria as defined by WHO and International Society of Hypertension. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and logistic regression at p< 0.05 level of significance.Results64.9% of the respondents were married and 59.5% were male. 52.0% drank alcohol, and 7.4% smoked. While 67.2% claimed they were not hypertensive, 22.6% don’t know their blood pressure status, and 58.1% were physically inactive. The prevalence of hypertension was 33.4%, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 43.6% and 15.2%, respectively. Predictors of hypertension in the study population were sex (male) (p<0.001), age >40 (p<0.001), alcohol consumption (any) (p<0.05), physical activity (≤rarely) (p<0.001) and BMI (≥25) (p<0.001) of the respondents.ConclusionThere was a high prevalence of hypertension and presence of modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors among the population. Therefore, both secondary and primary prevention require attention, in the latter case, comprehensive population-wide and workstation interventions, including behavioral change and communication interventions that are context-specific, should be implemented.