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Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hypertension Among Middle-Aged Adults in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area , Imo State , Nigeria

The thrust of the study was to determine the prevalence and the risk factors of hypertension among middle aged persons in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area, Imo State. A total of 200 subjects aged 40-60 years were selected and used for the study. Anthropometric measurements (weight and height) were taken. Body Mass Index (BMI) of the subjects was also calculated. The blood pressure measurements of the subjects were also collected using a sphygmomanometer and then classified using standard methods. A structured interviewer administered questionnaires were used to obtain information on the socio-economic characteristics, personal data and risk factors associated with hypertension among the subjects. The Statistical Package for social sciences was used for data analyses. The prevalence of hypertension (32.5%) was found among the subjects with a higher proportion in female subjects (20.0%) than males (12.5%). A quarter of the subjects (25.0%) were either overweight or obese. Less than half (30.0%) of the subjects had a frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages and 23.0% had a frequent intake of salty foods. These were all implicated as the risk factors of high blood pressure. There is need for preventive strategies on hypertension control and enlightening the public on the risk factors of hypertension especially high BMI and wrong eating habit and lifestyle should be encouraged Index Term-Prevalence, risk factors, hypertension, middle-