Predictors of hypertension among pregnant and nonpregnant Indian women

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is emerging as a leading cause of many noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Our analysis estimates the proportion of women aged 15–49 years with HTN for nonpregnant and pregnant women in India and its associated sociodemographic women and dietary/behavioral factors. Methods: National cross-sectional data from the National Family Health Survey-4, conducted between 2015 and 2016, were used. The primary outcome of the analysis was HTN. HTN was defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg. Results: We estimated the proportion of women with HTN and used multivariable logistic regression to explore associated factors. Nationally, 16.89% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 16.72–17.06) and 11.39% (95% CI = 10.93–11.87) of nonpregnant and pregnant women had HTN. Nonpregnant and pregnant women who consume milk or curd weekly and occasionally were associated with lower odds of being HTN compared to daily eaters. Nonpregnant women who consume green leafy occasionally (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.84–0.98) had lower odds of being HTN. Pregnant women who consume pulses or beans occasionally (aOR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.06–1.84) had higher odds of being HTN compared to daily eaters. Conclusion: We conclude both nonpregnant and pregnant women who consume milk or curd weekly and occasionally are less likely to have HTN. However, proper dietary food strategies are needed. Our findings suggest that there is a need to evaluate interventions targeted to study an appropriate diet to control HTN in India.