Exploring the Sociodemographic, Clinical, and Lifestyle Determinants of Hypertension Among Sedentary Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Cape Coast Metropolis

TL;DR

This study finds that sedentary workers in Cape Coast have a 18.2% hypertension rate, with age, family history, and shortness of breath as key risk factors.

Contribution

The study identifies specific sociodemographic and clinical determinants of hypertension among sedentary workers in a Ghanaian metropolis.

Findings

18.2% of sedentary workers in Cape Coast were found to have hypertension.

Age, family history of hypertension, and shortness of breath significantly increased hypertension risk.

Hypertensive individuals had higher BMI, waist circumference, and alcohol consumption compared to non-hypertensive individuals.

Abstract

Background: Hypertension, a major public health concern, is a significant risk factor for a range of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic health conditions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed the prevalence, sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical determinants of hypertension among sedentary workers in the Cape Coast Metropolis.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 170 sedentary workers at Abura Market, Cape Coast. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics were assessed. Data was analyzed accordingly using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 26 (IBM Inco., United States).

Results: The study involved 170 participants, of which 127 were females [median age = 42]. The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 18.2% (31/170). Increased consumption of alcohol, engagement in physical activity, fruit intake, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio were observed among hypertensive participants compared to those without hypertension. An increased risk of hypertension incidence was found to be significantly associated with age (p < 0.001), having a family history of hypertension (p < 0.001), and experiencing shortness of breath (p = 0.011) in a multivariate analysis. Having a family history of hypertension and experiencing shortness of breath increase the odds of an individual developing hypertension by 23.9 and 9.49-fold.

Conclusion: The study reveals a higher prevalence of hypertension among sedentary workers. High-risk groups for hypertension include the aged, those with a family history of hypertension, and those with diabetes mellitus. Given the lack of statistically significant symptoms, hypertension may remain undetected in individuals. The findings therefore underscore the need for public health interventions.