Abstract
BackgroundExisting evidence suggests that the cardiovascular morbidities are increasing among pre-hypertensive individuals compared to normal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of prehypertension, hypertension and to identify psychosocial risk factors for prehypertension among university students in Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries.MethodsBased on a cross-sectional survey, the total sample included 4649 undergraduate university students (females = 65.3%; mean age 20.5, SD = 2.9, age range of 18–30 years) from 7 ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam). Blood pressure, anthropometric, health behaviour and psychosocial variables were measured.ResultsOverall, 19.0% of the undergraduate university students across ASEAN countries had prehypertension, 6.7% hypertension and 74.2% were normotensives. There was country variation in prehypertension prevalence, ranging from 11.3% in Indonesia and 11.5% in Malaysia to above 18% in Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. In multivariate analysis, sociodemographic variables (male gender, living in an upper middle income country, and living on campus or off campus on their own), nutrition and weight variables (not being underweight and obese, having once or more times soft drinks in a day and never or rarely having chocolate or candy), heavy drinking and having depressive symptoms were associated with prehypertension.ConclusionThe study found a high prevalence of prehypertension in ASEAN university students. Several psychosocial risk factors including male gender, obesity, soft drinks consumption, heavy drinking and depression symptoms have been identified which can help in intervention programmes.
Highlights
Existing evidence suggests that the cardiovascular morbidities are increasing among pre-hypertensive individuals compared to normal
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of prehypertension, hypertension and to identify psychosocial risk factors for prehypertension based on a cross-sectional survey of a university undergraduate population in Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries (Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam)
Sociodemographic variables, nutrition and weight variables, heavy drinking and having depressive symptoms were associated with prehypertension
Summary
Existing evidence suggests that the cardiovascular morbidities are increasing among pre-hypertensive individuals compared to normal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of prehypertension, hypertension and to identify psychosocial risk factors for prehypertension among university students in Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. While in developed regions, the prevalence of hypertension appears to be stabilizing or decreasing, the rates in Southeast Asia continue to rise” [3]. You are more likely to become hypertensive and have a higher cardiovascular risk (compared with normotensives), and comprehensive therapeutic lifestyle modification strategy in prehypertensive subjects is indicated to reduce the risk of developing hypertension [4, 5]. A study among young adults (20–30 years) found that students were at higher risk for prehypertension than the general youth population [7]
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