Prevalence and Determinants of Hypertension in Non-pregnant Women of Punjab.

Background: Women's hypertension (HTN) is often underestimated and goes untreated due to the perception that women have a lesser risk of cardiovascular disease compared to males.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and major risk factors of HTN in adult women of Punjab.

Materials and methods: A community-based cross-sectional study with multistage sampling design was conducted among rural population of Punjab. The survey was designed in accordance with the WHO STEPwise approach for surveillance of noncommunicable disease to provide prevalence estimates of risk factors for three age groups for HTN. Village was considered a primary sampling unit (PSU). From each selected PSU in a rural area, households were selected. The ultimate sampling units were the households.

Results: A total of 2160 females were screened for HTN. Eight hundred and twenty-seven (38.27%) were found to be hypertensive, with 27.9% in stage 1 and 10.4% in stage 2 HTN. Body mass index and reproductive health factors (P = 0.001) were substantially linked with HTN. Significant disparities emerged in nutritional habits: hypertensive subjects exhibited higher average sugar intake (P = 0.006) and salt intake (P = 0.007) and were more likely to add table salt during meals (P = 0.013).

Conclusion: HTN prevalence is alarmingly high in Punjab, posing significant risks for chronic diseases and other health complications among its residents. The findings from this research could provide crucial insights that form the basis for developing tailored public health programs, policies, and awareness campaigns focused on HTN and its risk factors in rural communities.