Prevalence and risk factors of hypertension among Mizo population: A population-based epidemiological study from North East India

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of hypertension (HTN) in the Mizo population from Mizoram, North East India. We carried out a cross-sectional study among urban and rural populations. Socio-demographic and clinical information, including blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were collected by house-to-house visits and recorded in a predesigned and pretested questionnaire. The study included a total of 12,313 subjects (male: 5707, female: 6606) from urban (n = 5853) and rural (n = 6460) localities. All information was analysed using the statistical package SPSS- 17. Prevalence of HTN was 15.9% with significant urban-rural (18.9% versus 13.2%, P < 0.001) and gender variation (18.2% versus 13.9%, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis in the overall (rural and urban) model was carried out, which revealed that age, extra salt (salt as a side dish), tuibur (a special form of tobacco), high BMI and sedentary lifestyle were independently associated with HTN (P < 0.05). This study has public health implications, as community- based lifestyle intervention of these risk factors may alleviate the burden of HTN.