Association between anthropometry and blood pressure among female Ghanaian teachers of child bearing age

Abstract

Prevalence of hypertension is becoming very high among women in Ghana due to the high prevalence of obesity. This study sought to determine the relationship between anthropometry and blood pressure among female teachers of child-bearing age. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 female teachers between the ages of 18-49 years. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information on the socioeconomic status, anthropometry, blood pressure levels, physical activity, alcohol and nutrient intakes. Correlation, chi-square test, linear regression models and other multivariate statistical analyses were used to determine the association between the variables and blood pressure. The prevalence of hypertension among the female teachers was found to be 11.5%. Of this, teachers above 35 years had the highest prevalence of 88.9%. With respect to body mass index, obese individuals had the highest prevalence of 41.3%. Parity, income level and beer intake showed significant association with high blood pressure. Waist-to-hip ratio and age of the female teachers appeared to be the greatest predictors of hypertension. Centrally obesed women were 2 times at risk of developing hypertension than those who were not. Female who knew their hypertension status were 6 times more likely to be detected as hypertensive and women above 35 years were 5.7 times at risk of developing hypertension than those below 35 years. It is concluded that there is a strong positive relationship between anthropometry and blood pressure. Measures must be put in place to intensify nutrition education in all institutions