Prevalence and Lifestyle Determinants of Hypertension Among Secondary School Female Teachers in Basrah

Background: Hypertension is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the world and it is increasing particularly in developing countries (including Iraq). A number of factors increase blood pressure, including: obesity, insulin resistance, high alcohol intake, high salt intake (in salt-sensitive patients), aging, sedentary lifestyle, stress, low potassium intake, and low calcium intake, furthermore, many of these factors are additive, such as obesity and alcohol intake. Objectives: This study was conducted with the aim of determining the prevalence of hypertension among secondary school female teachers and identifying lifestyle related risk factors. Subjects and methods: A sample of 16 schools (25%) of female secondary schools in Basrah city was chosen randomly. All the female teachers present in the schools at the time of the visits were interviewed according to a special questionnaire. Height, weight and blood pressure were measured. The whole sample size was 403 participants; the only excluded criterion was pregnancy. The number of those who were excluded was five teachers. Results: The prevalence of hypertension among the study population was 21.3%, and about one fifth of them (20.3%) were prehypertensive. The prevalence of lifestyle risk factors among the study population was as follows; physical inactivity (67.٧%), overweight (40.9%), obesity (37.7%), contraceptive pills use (18.6%), salty diet (18.1%), fatty diet (15.4%), drugs intake (mostly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) (12.4%), coffee intake (6.5%), and smoking (0.5%). A significant association was found between some lifestyle risk factors and hypertension, those were: drug intake, and body mass index, while no significant association was found between other risk factors and hypertension which were: fatty diet, physical activity, coffee intake and, contraceptive pills intake. Conclusions: The prevalence of hypertension was within the range of that reported for women in Iraq. There was a significant proportion of participants with unidentified hypertension, and a significant association was found between certain lifestyle risk factors and hypertension. Early detection of hypertension and educational health programs regarding lifestyle behavior were highly recommended.