Community-Based Screening for Hypertension and Diabetes among Adults: Study of Western Nepal

Abstract

Hypertension and diabetes are the major public health problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in western Nepal. Community based cross-sectional screening was done among 142 adult populations aged 20–80 years with blood pressure and blood sugar tests with standard protocol. Adult population was selected as a sample for the study purposively. Among the total adults screened; 73.2 percent were females, 38 percent were the age group 40-59 years with mean standard deviation of age (50.26±17.74). Hypertension presents in 45.77 percent and diabetes 7.04 percent of the adults. More than half (55.26%) of the screened male and 47.11 percent of the screened females were at the hypertension stage II. Hypertension and diabetes is more prevalent in the ≥ 60 years’ adults compared to other age groups. Age and gender were significantly associated with hypertension (Χ² = 37.615, 7.915) p value <0.05 respectively. Similarly, there is a significant association between age group and diabetes. Hypertension was found to be more common in comparison to diabetes in all screened adults. Males have a higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes than females. Age and gender were significantly associated with hypertension. There is a need for early intervention because a remarkably increased number of adults were found to have hypertension.