Abstract
We conducted a cross-sectional study among school/college students in Tanzania and Uganda to determine the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) and associated factors. Participants were classified to have high BP if they had pre-hypertension or hypertension. Interviews were done using the WHO STEPS instrument. Using data from both countries (n = 1596), the overall prevalence of high BP was 40% (95% CI: 37-42). The prevalence of pre-hypertension was 29% (95% CI: 26-31) and that of hypertension was 11% (95% CI: 10-13). High BP was independently associated with obesity (aOR = 6.7, 95% CI: 2.2-20.0), male sex (aOR = 3.2, 95% CI: 2.4-4.4), and among males aged above 20 years (aOR = 5.5, 95% CI: 2.9−10.5). Consumption of fruits/vegetables was associated with decreased odds for high BP (aOR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.50-0.98). The increasing burden of pre-hypertension across age groups could explain the early onset of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among young African adults. There is a need for longitudinal studies to explore the drivers of pre-hypertension in East African adolescents.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Clinical Hypertension |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Pages (from-to) | 470-478 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISSN | 1524-6175 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2019 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Adolescents
- Hypertension
- Pre-hypertension
- Schools
- Young adults
