Healthy lifestyle index and its association with hypertension among community adults in Sri Lanka: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the association between a healthy lifestyle index (HLI) (i.e., a composite score comprising multiple lifestyle factors) and hypertension among community adults living in Sri Lanka. Methods: The present study used baseline information of a cluster randomized controlled trial among 456 adults aged 27-65 years in a semi-urban community in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The HLI was constructed by summing a number of low-risk lifestyle factors: low body mass index, sufficient physical activity, non-smoking, low alcohol consumption, and sufficient fruit and vegetable consumption. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure .140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure .90 mmHg, or the use of antihypertensive medication. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between the HLI (low: 0-2; middle: 3; high: 4-5) and hypertension. Results: A total of 178 (39%) participants were hypertensive. Compared with the low HLI group, multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of hypertension were 0.72 (0.44-1.19) and 0.28 (0.15-0.54) for the middle and high HLI groups, respectively (p-trend <0.001). Conclusions: The present study provides essential evidence on an inverse association between adherence to healthy lifestyles and hypertension.