Understanding gender variation in the risk factors of hypertension through cross sectional analysis

Hypertension is the primary preventable risk factor for all-cause mortality and disability. One of the highest burdens of hypertension in South Asia is seen in India. Nevertheless, no nationwide research has studied how gender differs in the risk factors of hypertension. This study used the 5th wave of India's Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), a cross sectional survey carried out in 2019-2021. Women are less likely to suffer (11.22%) from hypertension compared to men (15.51%). Multivariable regression analysis identifies key risk factors such as age, education, alcohol consumption, wealth, diet intake, and obesity, which are significantly associated with hypertension in both genders. Hypertension prevalence is lower among the Hindus and Muslims than in the Christian and Sikh populations among both men and women. SCs and OBCs have lower hypertension prevalence than general-category individuals. Individuals residing in the Northeast and Southern regions are more hypertensive than their counterparts. Vegetarians are less hypertensive than non-vegetarians and vegans. Men who consume pulses daily are found to be more hypertensive than their counterparts. The decomposition analysis revealed that among the endowment component, group disparities in alcohol consumption (35.42%) contributed most to the total gap among different genders. Group variations in body mass index between men and women contributed the most to the total gap (80.24%) among the coefficient effects. We found a considerable gender difference in hypertension prevalence between men and women. Therefore, the gender dimension in the study is necessary to comprehend and validate the variations in the essential strategies for controlling the disease in the country.