Comparative study on risk factors for hypertension in a University setting in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Hypertension is a silent killer with obvious preventable risk factors. The study aimed at assessing the risk factors of hypertension in order of prevalence in a university setting located in a semi-urban area (Ekpoma) in Southern Nigeria vis-à-vis comparing the risk factors between the junior staff and senior staff in the setting. The overall crude prevalence was 33% while the prevalence for the junior staff was 23.8% and senior staff was 38.93%.  In this study, the mean diastolic hypertension for the male senior staff was 158.3 ± 4.5 and significantly higher (P <0.5) than that for the male junior staff which was 144.3 ± 2.5. There was no significant difference between diastolic hypertension in female senior staff, 104 ± 3.6, and female junior staff, 97.7 ± 1.6 (P >0.5). Kolanut was the dominant risk factor in this study and its effect was more pronounced among the senior staff. Other risk factors were excess salt, alcohol, cigarette smoking and sex. The study revealed the importance of assessing the risk factors for hypertension in order of dominance so that appropriate awareness programmes can be strategized to minimize the risk factors for hypertension with a resultant marginalization of the devastating effect of hypertension and its complication.