Prevalence of hypertension and its relationship with indices of obesity in Maiduguri, Northeastern Nigeria

Background: Hypertension is the greatest preventable cause of death one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. There is paucity of studies on the relationship between obesity and hypertension in northern Nigeria. Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and its relationship with indices of obesity in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: We recruited 1700 consenting adults aged 15-70 years using a multistage random sampling technique. Data on socio-demographic characteristics were obtained using a pretested questionnaire. Physical measurements for anthropometric indices and blood pressure (BP) were carried out using standard procedures. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥ 140mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90mmHg. Multiple logistic regressions were fitted and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to identify associated factors. Results: Of the 1700 subjects recruited, 1650 responde, d yielding a response rate of 97%. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 32.3%, with a higher prevalence among women than men (46.1% vs. 34.5%, P < 0.05). Obesity was found in 15.9% of the study subjects. The prevalence of obesity was higher among women (20.7%) than men (13.6%). All the obesity indices correlated significantly with both SBP and DBP. Age ≥ 40 years, BMI and waist circumference in men were significantly associated with hypertension. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension in our study is high, particularly among women. Increasing age (>40 years), BMI and WC were found to be independently associated with hypertension. There is need for further studies to determine the role of lifestyle modification in reducing the burden of hypertension in our environment.