AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY ON HYPERTENSION AND ITS DIETARY CORRELATES IN A RURAL POPULATION OF MEERUT

Background: Hypertension is the commonest cardiovascular disorder accounting for 20-50% of all cardiovascular deaths and it is a major health problem affecting most of the countries in the world. Objective: To find out the prevalence of hypertension and to assess the relation of dietary factors with hypertension Methodology: A Community based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural field practice area of department of Community Medicine, Subharti Medical College, Meerut. A personal house to house visit was made to each household selected by systematic random sampling technique and data was collected using a predesigned and pretested interview and examination schedule All the members from selected households were included in the study. Hypertension was defined as Systolic BP e”140mmHg and/or diastolic BP e” 90mmHg or subjects currently taking anti-hypertensive treatment. Total period of study was October 2009 to September 2011. Data was analysed in Microsoft excel using percentiles, Chi-square test and Chi-square test for trend. Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension was found to be 18%. A significant association was found between hypertension and type of diet and additional salt intake while no significant association was observed with frequency of intake of junk food. Conclusion: Prevalence of hypertension is found to be high (18%) so there is a need to create awareness about hypertension in the community