Prevalence and Associated Factors of Hypertension in Hirat City Afghanistan, 2015

-Background: Hypertension is one of the most common causes of premature death and morbidity in both developed and developing countries. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of hypertension and characterize associated risk factors in an urban setting in Afghanistan. Methods and Materials: A provincial-based cross-sectional study was conducted in May-June 2015 among 1129 adult residents of Hirat city using the World Health Organization STEP wise approach tool (WHO STEPS). A multi-stage sampling technique was used to enroll participants in the study. Socio-economic and demographic variables were collected via face to face interviews, after which blood samples were collected using a locally developed standard operating procedure (SOP). Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to explore the association and data were coded, entered, and analyzed with SPSS version 20 software package. Results: A total of 1129 responses (47.4% males, 52.6% females) of 25-70 years of age were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 35.6%. Mean systolic blood pressure and standard deviation (SD) was 123.4 ± 18.5 mmHg and mean diastolic blood pressure was 81.8 ± 13 mmHg. Overall, 3.6% of hypertensive participants were previously diagnosed or were under treatment. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, age, central obesity, general obesity and existing of diabetes mellitus were statistically significant predictors of hypertension. Conclusion: One third of adults are suffering from hypertension while 32% were latent. Age, obesity, and diabetes were identified as risk factors. However mass screening for hypertension, health education and life style modifications are recommended.