Population‑based Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Hypertension among Adults in Benue State, Nigeria

Background: The increasing prevalence of hypertension in low‑ and middle‑income countries is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Aim: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors in Benin state, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A population‑based cross‑sectional study was conducted among 1265 adults selected by multistage sampling technique. The World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise approach was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software program, version 23.0 (IBM). We estimated prevalence and odds of hypertension at 5% level of significance. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 35.6%. The odds of hypertension was higher among age 30–39 (aOR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.3–3.1) compared to age 18–29 years, males (aOR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1–2.0) compared to females, overweight (aOR: 2.3; 95%CI: 1.6–3.2), and obesity (aOR: 4.9; 95%CI: 3.2–7.7) compared to normal weight, and high cholesterol (aOR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1–2.3) compared to normal cholesterol. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was high among young adults in Benue State. The associated risk factors for hypertension were age, sex, overweight, obesity, and high total cholesterol. Keywords: Community, hypertension, Nigeria, population‑based, risk factor