1Associate Professor, Community Medicine, Dr SMCSI Medical College, Karakonam, Thiruvananthapuram
2Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, Dr SMCSI Medical College, Karakonam, Thiruvananthapuram
3Professor &HOD, Community Medicine, Dr SMCSI Medical College, Karakonam, Thiruvananthapuram
*Corresponding Author: Dr Sandhya GI Associate Professor, Community Medicine, Dr SMCSI Medical College, Karakonam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Online published on 21 July, 2018.
Prevalence, Control and associated factors with hypertension among rural women aged 30-60yrs in Kerala
To estimate the prevalence, control and factors associated with hypertension among middle aged women of rural Kerala.
Hypertension is a major public health problem in India. It is a leading cause for mortality and morbidity in India.
The overall prevalence of hypertension was 32.1% and prehypertension was 8.4%. Among the hypertensive 32.2% (10.2% of the total study population) were newly diagnosed. 55% the known hypertensive were not taking treatment regularly and 57% of the known hypertensive have uncontrolled hypertension. 32.3% of the study population was overweight where as 12.8% was obese. Multi logistic regression revealed that BMI>25kg/m2, perceived stress, family history of hypertension and diabetes were factors associated with hypertension.
This study has shown that hypertension is highly prevalent among rural women and the disease is uncontrolled among the rural women. The fact that one tenth of the population has hypertension which is undetected is alarming. Primary and secondary levels prevention of hypertension should be considered.
Hypertension, Prevalence, prehypertension, control, rural women
