Abstract

Objective: Nepal has been participating in the May Measurement Month (MMM) aiming to raise hypertension awareness and improve health seeking behavior to control high blood pressure in communities and present data for policymakers. This study compares the results from 2017 to 2021. Design and Methods: Opportunistic cross-sectional surveys to measure the proportion of hypertension, its awareness, treatment, control, and risk factors among> = 18 years of age annually from 2017 to 2021 in Nepal. Although MMM was not executed globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it was conducted in Nepal by following safety measures. We administered the structured questionnaire and took three BP readings while sitting at 1-minutes intervals. Measures of association were calculated using the logistic regression model adjusting for age and sex. The same definition of hypertension (a mean of 2nd and 3rd BP reading> = 140/90 mmHg, or participants were treated with medicines for known hypertension) was applied for all years. Results: The summary characteristics from 2017 to 2021 are presented in Table 1. Baseline characteristics were similar for all five studies except for low tobacco use in 2017. The proportion of hypertension ranges from 20.6% to 31.3% (24.4% in 2017, 27.8% in 2018, 27.5% in 2019, 31.3% in 2020, and 20.6% in 2021). Awareness, treatment, and control were also similar across five years, ranging from 39.5% to 49.9%, 29.5% to 39.1%, and 46.0% to 56.0% respectively. Smoking, alcohol use, body mass index> = 25, diabetes, and history of myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke were associated with hypertension after adjusting for age and sex across multiple studies. Conclusions: A five-year comparison of the MMM study in Nepal showed that hypertension awareness, treatment, and control have been suboptimal, suggesting an urgent need to implement a nationwide prevention and control program together with a national screening program.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.