Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in urban communities of Imphal, Manipur

Abstract

Hypertension is a global public health issue. If Hypertension is detected early it is possible to minimize the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke and kidney failure. The objectives of this present research work are the following: i. To determine the prevalence of hypertension among the age group of >25 years in two urban communities of Imphal ii.To assess their knowledge on hypertension and practice of measuring BP. iii. To determine the factors associated with hypertension. iv. To assess the level of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension.A Cross-sectional study was done in two urban communities of Imphal, Manipur during May-June, 2013 among individuals aged ≥25 years. The final calculated sample size was 882. Convenience sampling method was used. Participants were interviewed using a structured interview schedule, their BP was measured, anthropometric measurements taken. Hypertension was defined according to JNC VII criteria. The collected data was exposed to statistical analysis. It was found that ,out of the 957 eligible persons approached 923 persons consented to participate. About 63.6 percent of the respondents were females. Prevalence of hypertension was 37%. About one-sixth (17.0%) of the respondents had never heard of BP. About 17% of the respondents had never measured their BP in their life time. Increase in age, male gender, increase in BMI levels, tobacco and alcohol were found to be significant independent predictors of hypertension. About 42.5% of the hypertensives were aware of their hypertensive status, 30.8% are on treatment and only 11.4% of them were under control. It was concluded that the prevalence of hypertension was high but awareness was poor. It is recommended to create awareness about hypertension and regular BP check up should be done among the community for early detection of hypertension and to prevent complications.