Prevalence and Factors Associated with High Blood Pressure in Mining Workers in Franceville, Gabon in the Year 2023

Aim of Study: To determine the prevalence and the factors associated with arterial hypertension (AH) among workers in the mines of Franceville, Gabon, in the year 2023. Patients and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, analytical study at the Polyclinique du Haut Ogooué (PHO) in Franceville, Gabon, between 1 January and 31 December 2023. Employees of a mining company were selected by purposive sampling. Socioprofessional, clinical and biological data were collected using an anonymous questionnaire. The statistical study was performed using Epi Info 7.2.6 software. Factors associated with the occurrence of hypertension were determined by logistic regression at the α = 7% level and at the p ˂ 5% significance level. Results: We included 288 participants, with a male predominance (86.46%). The median age was 39 years [22 - 93 years]. Most participants were blue-collar workers (49.31%), and the majority worked night shifts (71.18%). More than half of the participants were overweight or obese (60.42%). The prevalence of hypertension was 44.79%. Multivariate logistic regression identified two factors associated with incident hypertension: a history of diabetes (OR 36.42 [4.07 - 325.89], p = 0.00) and alcohol consumption (OR 1.99 [1.21 - 3.31], p = 0.007). Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of hypertension and two associated predictive factors in this mining company. It is therefore necessary to set up an occupational health department within the company. This will contribute to better screening, prevention and health promotion strategies.