The influence of medical and social risk factors on the development of hypertension in the adult population at the regional level

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of medical and social risk factors (RF) on the development of arterial hypertension (AH) in the adult population at the regional level (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine). Materials and methods. The study, after obtaining an informed consent, involved 2000 patients, residents of Zaporizhzhia region, including 1000 patients (522 men and 478 women, mean age 51.60 ± 0.85 years) with AH and 1000 patients (478 men and 522 women, mean age 49.80 ± 0.94 years) without AH. The relationship between hypertension and the action of already known RF, the reliable connection of which has been proven by many studies, including burdened heredity, overweight, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, physical inactivity, and some social and economic RF. In order to achieve the goal of the study, we used a set of general scientific and special interrelated and consistently applied methods: system analysis, bibliosemantic, descriptive statistics, calculating the odds ratio (OR) of the event with a 95 % confidence interval (CI); values of P to define statistical significance. Results. According to our study, the simple logistic regression analysis of persons from the study cohort reveals a reliable relationship (P < 0.05) between AH and family history of hypertension, overweight, physical inactivity, smoking. Along with the well-known RF, the residents of the Zaporizhzhia region are exposed to other social and economic RF, in particular, poor living standards (OR 2.45; 95 % CІ 2.04–2.94; P < 0.0001), unemployment (OR 1.9; 95 % CІ 1.38–2.64; P < 0.0001), lack of healthcare facilities at the place of residence (OR 0.29; 95 % CІ 0.22–0.35; P < 0.0001), low level of education (OR 2.39; 95 % CІ 1.97–2.91; P < 0.0001). Conclusions. It has been found that along with the traditional risk factors, the residents of the Zaporizhzhia region have other social and economic risk factors, including poor living standards, low average income, unemployment, lack of healthcare facilities at the place of residence, low level of education.