Key result
Among university students in Syria, the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and hypertension was 27.7% and 15.9%, respectively, with male sex, smoking, stress, and obesity identified as significant risk factors.
Why the study?
Hypertension prevalence has increased worldwide, but no data were available on the prevalence and correlates of hypertension and elevated blood pressure among young adults in Syria.
Cross-Sectional (n=1,100)
Yes
A high prevalence of elevated blood pressure (27.7%) and hypertension (15.9%) exists among Syrian university students, highlighting a need for early screening and targeted prevention policies in young adults.
Supports hypertension screening in Syrian students; leaves open causality and generalizability pending prospective studies.
Objective: The prevalence of hypertension has increased worldwide over the last decades. No data are available on the prevalence and correlates of hypertension and elevated blood pressure among young adults in Syria. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and elevated blood pressure among university students and to identify the associated sociodemographic characteristics, and behavioral risk factors. Methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional investigation with 1,100 subjects randomly selected from the students of Aleppo and Al-Wataniya universities. Risk factors, and measurement data were collected using a questionnaire. Hypertension was categorized according to ACC/AHA guidelines. Results: Out of 1,100 undergraduate university students, men made up 70.2% of the total respondents. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 30 years with a mean age of 21 (±1.82). The prevalence of elevated blood pressure and hypertension was 27.7% and 15.9% respectively. The main common risk factors for elevated blood pressure and hypertension were sex, age, smoking, stress and BMI. Family history was only associated with hypertension. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension among undergraduate students was higher than in other countries which calls for urgent policy actions targeting this age group for early prevention of hypertension.
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Alahmad et al. (2025) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=1,100). Sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors (e.g., smoking, stress, obesity) vs. Unexposed/reference groups was evaluated on Prevalence of hypertension (ACC/AHA 2017 guidelines). Among university students in Syria, the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and hypertension was 27.7% and 15.9%, respectively, with male sex, smoking, stress, and obesity identified as significant risk factors.
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