A STUDY OF BLOOD PRESSURE PREVALENCE AND SOME OF ITS EFFECTIVE FACTORS IN DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES IN THE RURAL POPULATION

BACKGROUND: High blood pressure is considered as one of the main problems in developed and developing countries. Undoubtedly, controlling blood pressure is a significant factor in the declining of case of fatal non-contagious diseases, and plays an important role in reducing the rate of mortality caused by these diseases. The purpose of this research is to investigate blood pressure prevalence and its effective factors in the population older than ۳۰ years of age in Shaft, Iran, around ۲۰۰۷-۲۰۰۸.    METHODS: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, and applied research, which is dedicated to surveying the relationship between family history of blood pressure, diabetes, and fatness with high blood pressure prevalence in ۲۷,۰۵۷ people older than ۳۰ years of age. Data was collected via a questionnaire along with observation, and was analyzed by SPSS software.    RESULTS: Results showed that from the ۲۷,۰۵۷ screened people, ۴۷.۴% were male and ۵۲.۶% female. ۴۹.۶% of screened people were at risk of high blood pressure ۵۶% of at risk individuals had BMI factor of more than ۲۵ and ۱۳.۶% had family history of diabetes. From the total population under survey, ۱.۹% were suspected of having high blood pressure, ۰.۴۷% of whom were diagnosed by physicians for the first time. The highest frequency of prevalence (including old and new sick people) was observed in ۲۲% of people of ۷۰ years of age and older that implied the risk of high blood pressure will be raised by increasing of age. The prevalence of high blood pressure in women (۱۲.۶%) was higher than men (۴.۵۸%).    CONCLUSION: Overweight people, people that had family history of blood pressure and diabetes, and smokers were more at risk of high blood pressure compared to healthy people. Therefore, paying sufficient attention to risky cardiovascular factors in the treatment of high blood pressure, changing the patients’ lifestyle, amending their diet and preventing them from immobility can be some of the effective ways of controlling risky factors.

Keywords:

Blood Pressure , Fatness , Diabetes , Family Background , Lifestyle