Prevalence and relationship of hypertension among adult patients visiting primary health care centers in Baghdad, Iran: Cross-sectional study

Abstract

Hypertension causes cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. The study was a cross-sectional one that sought to find out the hypertension prevalence and other related factors in adults who visit primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in Baghdad. Systematic random sampling will be used to recruit a total of 520 adults [?]18 years old enrolled in six PHCs in Baghdad in the period of April-October 2024. A single visit measurement of blood pressure was done in accordance with standardized WHO STEPS protocols. Hypertension was considered as systolic BP [?]140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP [?]90 mmHg, or the present consumption of antihypertensive drugs. Structured questions were used to gather data on demographics, lifestyle and medical history. Findings revealed prevalence of hypertension of 34.6 (n=180) among PHC attendees with 48.3% having never been diagnosed. Other factors of importance were; age [?]50 years (aOR=3.24, p<0.001), obesity (aOR=2.68, p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (aOR=2.42, p=0.001), family history (aOR=2.18, p=0.002), physical inactivity (aOR=1.86, p=0.008) and high salt intake (aOR=1.72, p=0 These results show high prevalence of hypertension among PHC attendants and the prevalence of unrecognized cases, which indicate the necessity of the systematic opportunistic screening and lifestyle change program in the primary care environment.