Prevalence and Determinants of Hypertension Among Young Adults in Islamabad, Pakistan: Role of Lifestyle and Family History
Keywords:
Hypertension, Adults, Prevalence, Predictors, Pakistan, BMI, Lifestyle FactorsAbstract
Background: Hypertension is increasingly prevalent among young adults and contributes to long-term cardiovascular risk.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and identify its predictors among young adults in Pakistan.
Methodology: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study, which was carried out at International Islamic University, Islamabad, and COMSATS University Islamabad between March 2023 and February 2024. Stratified random sampling was used to recruit 800 participants aged 1835 years. Structured interviews and standardized measurements were utilized to gather information on demographic, lifestyle factors, family history, and clinical measurements. Blood pressure was taken on two occasions with two readings each time, and the average was taken. Body mass index (BMI) was determined. The definition of hypertension was based on systolic blood pressure of 140mmHg or greater, diastolic blood pressure of 90mmHg or greater or use of antihypertensive medication. The data were computed in SPSS 25 and subjected to descriptive statistics, chi-square, independent t-tests and logistic regression to determine significant predictors (p<0.05).
Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 20.00% (160/800) among participants. Hypertension was more common in males (23.81% vs. 15.79% in females), participants with overweight/obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m²: 56.67%), positive family history (28.57% vs. 15.38%), sedentary lifestyle (27.27% vs. 11.11%), current smokers (31.25% vs. 17.19%), alcohol users (25.00% vs. 19.44%), and those with unhealthy diets (26.00% vs. 10.00%). Logistic regression showed age, male gender, BMI, family history, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy diet as independent predictors of hypertension.
Conclusion: One in five young adults in this university population has hypertension, with lifestyle and familial factors serving as key predictors.
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