Prevalence of hypertension and its determinants among policemen in a City of Haryana, India

INTRODUCTION: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill 40 million people each year, equivalent to 70% of all deaths globally. Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths or 17.7 million people annually. Police work has been regarded by some researchers as one of the most stressful occupations in the world, and coronary heart disease has been identified as a major cause of mortality in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out during July 2016-June 2017 among 450 policemen posted in Rohtak city of Haryana selected randomly. The investigator made two measurements of blood pressure. Data were collected using predesigned, pretested, semi-structured interview schedule, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0. RESULTS: Of 450 participants, 164 (36.4%) participants were found to be hypertensive. Age of study participants, duration of service, rank, and education are significantly associated with the prevalence of hypertension (HTN) among policemen. CONCLUSION: HTN in policemen has emerged as an important public health problem. Knowledge of risk factors for HTN may give tracks for prevention in this population. Therefore, it is the need of hour to devise a sound screening strategy to diagnose HTN among policemen and devise a comprehensive strategy for the management of HTN.