Effects of age and body mass index on blood pressure and blood glucose in three rural agrarian communities in Enugu State

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a major contributor to the global burden of disease and global mortality, with a projection of 39.1 million cases in Nigeria by the year 2030. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of body mass index on blood pressure (BP) and blood glucose in three rural agrarian communities in Enugu State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was an opportunistic cross-sectional study in three rural agrarian communities––Ibagwa, Akpugo, and Egede, all in Enugu State. Volunteer adults of 18 years and above were consecutively recruited and screened. Omron BP monitors were used mostly and supplemented by mercury BP sphygmomanometers. Each participant had their BP measured after at least 5 min of rest, and repeated twice after 3–5 min interval and also received a questionnaire about demographics, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP equal to or more than 140mm Hg and/or diastolic BP equal to or more than 90mm Hg or in those on treatment for hypertension. Ethical approval was obtained and all participants gave informed consent before screening. Data were collated and analyzed. Result: People of middle (40–64 years) and elderly (>65 years) age groups constituted the majority of participants. Most of the participants in the three groups had normal body mass index. The proportion of participants with hypertension was 15.2%, 21.9%, and 31.9% for Ibagwa, Akpugo, and Egede communities, respectively. The mean BMI was 27.08 kg/m2, 24.70 kg/m2 and 24.45 kg/m2 for participants from Ibagwa, Egede, and Akpugo communities, respectively. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among Ibagwa people, whereas the prevalence of underweight was higher among Egede people (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Low proportion of participants had hypertension in the three communities and rising age was more associated with hypertension than overweight and obesity.