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Challenges of Hypertension Prevention in the Social Determinants of Stress: A Qualitative Study

Background: Human life is tied with the stress caused by economic, political, social, and cultural problems, which may lead to physical and mental diseases. In such stressful conditions, people make lifestyle changes that put them at high risk for developing hypertension.

Objectives: Accordingly, this study investigated the prevention and management of hypertension as a major public health challenge in Iran.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers, health policymakers, social medicine specialists, and faculty members. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The MAXQDA18 software was applied to facilitate the organization of codes and themes.

Results: Interviews were conducted with 17 participants. The analyses resulted in five themes including, educational policies, cultural policies, urban transport policies, organizational policies, and economic policies. A total of 13 subthemes were also extracted from the data.

Conclusion: Findings have indicated the stressors factors, stemming from macro-policies and mismanagement of government. To reduce the burden of hypertension and improve people's living conditions, health-oriented policies should be designed and implemented in all sectors.