Hypertension among adult population of Herat city of Afghanistan: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Hypertension as a major health problem around the world which is responsible for 7.5 million or 12.8% of all deaths yearly around the world. To date, there is a scarcity of data concerning prevalence and risk factors of hypertension in Herat province of Afghanistan. Therefore, the present study estimated the prevalence of hypertension and its predictors among Afghan adults living in Herat city.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study was administered in August 2022 among adults (N=504) in the Herat province of Afghanistan. The study examined hypertension, its risk factors among people living in Herat province of Afghanistan.
 Results: Of the 504 participants, 27.4% of them had hypertension. age group, gender, body mass index (BMI), marital status, occupation, smoking, presence of another disease, and use of social media, were among the main variables associated with hypertension among participants of the study. Multiple regression analysis indicated that age (AOR=1.036, p<0.001), BMI (AOR=1.077, p=0.003), gender (AOR=2.910, p<0.001), presence of disease (AOR=0.541, p=0.026), use of social media (AOR=0.504, p=0.007), and Borani (AOR=1.316, p=0.028) were significantly associated with presence of hypertension.
 Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension is found high among adults living in Herat province of Afghanistan. One of the variables found to have a major impact on the prevalence of hypertension was eating Borani food. There is a need for health practitioners to assess self-care activities and blood pressure control, and educate patients the importance of hypertension monitoring and teaching practical techniques to boost their confidence and motivation to achieve a better self-care to have a healthier life.