Prevalence of Hypertension in a Rural Community

Chronic non-communicable diseases are important among adult population all over the world. The prevalence of chronic diseases, like hypertension, diabetes etc., is showing an upward trend not only in developed world but also in developing countries. Earlier hypertension was more commonly seen in urban population now rural population is equally affected. Hence the study was conducted in one of the villages in UP to measure the prevalence of hypertension in rural population. A cross-sectional study was carried out among the adults in the age group of 30 to 80 years, residing under Niwari Primary Health Centre (PHC) area by using cluster-sampling method, 1000 individuals were selected and studied.

Two hundred and thirty individuals (23%) were found to have hypertension out of which 135 were males and 95 were females. Out of male patients, 90 (66.66%) were obese, 104 (77%) were smokers or chronic tobacco chewer and 82 (60.74%) were regularly consuming alcohol; whereas in females, the incidence of obesity tobacco consumption and alcohol intake was 58 (61.05%), 40 (42.10%) and 25 (26.3%), respectively. In addition, 7 (7.36%) women were regularly taking contraceptive pills. Out of 230 cases, 30 (13.04%) patients were known hypertensive and were regularly taking treatment (out of these, 20 were males and 10 were females).

The prevalence rate of hypertension in rural population was 23%. The incidence was higher in males (58.69%). Increase in age, alcohol consumption, smoking, chewing tobacco, obesity, and presence of Diabetes mellitus was found to have more incidence of hypertension.