Key result
Higher BMI is linked to hypertension among Nigerian primary healthcare workers with ~27% overall prevalence.
Why the study?
Healthcare workers face occupational stressors that may predispose them to elevated blood pressure, but remain an understudied population in Nigeria.
Cross-Sectional (n=400)
Yes
More than a quarter of primary healthcare workers in South-East Nigeria are hypertensive, with body mass index being the strongest anthropometric correlate, highlighting the need for workplace wellness and weight management programs.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May inform occupational health screening in Nigerian healthcare workers; leaves open causal links and practice changes without longitudinal data.
AbstractBackground: Hypertension is a leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity andpremature mortality worldwide, and its burden is rising rapidly across sub-Saharan Africa.Healthcare workers, despite their proximity to health services, are themselves exposed tooccupational stressors that may predispose them to elevated blood pressure, yet they remain anunderstudied population in Nigeria.Objective: This study determined the prevalence of hypertension and examined itsanthropometric and behavioural correlates among primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) inSouth-East Nigeria.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed involving 400 PHCWs(physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory scientists/technologists) selected throughmultistage proportionate, stratified, and simple random sampling across Federal Medical Centresin the five South-East states. Blood pressure was measured with a mercury sphygmomanometer,and weight, height, and other anthropometric indices were recorded using standardisedprocedures. Data were analysed with SPSS version 25 using frequencies, percentages, chisquare, and correlation statistics, with significance set at p < 0.05.Results: Overall, 108 (27.0%) of respondents were hypertensive while 292 (73.0%) werenormotensive. The mean body mass index was significantly higher among female than malerespondents (25.25 ± 0.26 versus 23.55 ± 0.28 kg/m²; p < 0.001). Systolic and diastolic bloodpressures were markedly higher among hypertensive than normotensive respondents (162.85 ±1.61 versus 113.59 ± 0.98 mmHg and 102.98 ± 2.54 versus 87.41 ± 1.31 mmHg, respectively; p< 0.001). Body mass index was significantly associated with hypertension morbidity (χ² =22.265, p = 0.001), whereas occupational cadre (χ² = 6.969, p = 0.324), marital status (χ² = 5.512,p = 0.480), and family history (χ² = 4.000, p = 0.135) showed no statistically significantassociation. Conclusion: More than a quarter of primary healthcare workers in South-East Nigeria werehypertensive, and body mass index emerged as the strongest anthropometric correlate.Workplace-based screening, weight management, and lifestyle-modification programmes areurgently required for this vulnerable workforce.
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Chinwendu Joe Felix, Regidor III Poblete Dioso, Adeniyi Sarafadeen Diran (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=400). Body mass index was evaluated on Prevalence of hypertension (p=0.001). Among 400 primary healthcare workers in South-East Nigeria, the prevalence of hypertension was 27.0%, and body mass index was significantly associated with hypertension morbidity (p=0.001).
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