EXPLORING THE CORRELATION BETWEEN BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER VARIABLES AMONG JOURNALISTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Introduction: Hypertension is a worldwide epidemic, and the prevalence in the black population is more compared to the Caucasians. Globally, an estimated 26% of the world's population has hypertension, and the prevalence is expected to increase to 29% by 2025 (Patricia M et al, 2005). While females have a lower prevalence of hypertension until the 5th decade of life. It should be noted that the prevalence of hypertension is increased in females compared to males afterward.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between blood pressure and other variables (glucose level, pulse rate, glucose level) among journalists, considering the potential impact of occupational stress, irregular work hours, and lifestyle factors on these health indicators.

Methods: The study was conducted among 37 journalists randomly selected from the Ogun State Television (OGTV) Commission. Criteria for inclusion included being a worker of OGTV and being able to communicate fluently in English. A questionnaire was administered to gather the sociodemographic information of the participants, and their pulse rate, blood pressure, and fasting blood sugar were measured and recorded. The JNC 7 was used as the criteria for the staging of hypertension, and the WHO criteria were used for diabetes. The data was cleaned, entered, and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Univariate analysis: Categorical variables were summarized using frequency and percentages. Bivariate analysis: ChiSquare test was used. The level of significance was set at p value < 0.05.

Results: 73% of the participants were middle-aged. 67.6% of them were male. A very few percent (18.9%) of the workers have normal blood pressure, 32.4% of them are in the pre-hypertensive category while about half of them (48.4%) are hypertensive. Only one participant (6.25%) had elevated FBS. Only age groups show a significant association with hypertension, 16 out of 18 participants within the middle age groups which accounts for 88.9% were hypertensive, this shows that there is strong association between increasing age and hypertension (P=0.034*).

Conclusion: This study reveals a significant prevalence of hypertension among journalists in the study location, aiding in the understanding of the unique health challenges faced by journalists, particularly regarding cardiovascular and metabolic health. In light of these findings, targeted health interventions, policies, and workplace wellness programs aimed at improving the overall health and well-being of journalists should be implemented.

Reference: Kearney PM, Whelton M, Reynolds K, Muntner P, Whelton PK, He J. Global burden of hypertension: analysis of worldwide data. Lancet. 2005 Jan 16;365(9455):217-23.