Socioeconomic and Demographic Risk Factors Affecting Adult Participants With Hypertension in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Globally, hypertension poses a serious threat to public health since it is a key contributor to atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque accumulation in the arteries thickens and restricts blood flow. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are mostly caused by atherosclerosis. Considering this, the main objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and related risk factors in adult Bangladeshis. In addition, we want to determine significant factors for predicting hypertension.Methods: The dataset used in this study was derived from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017-18 in Bangladesh, with a total of 11,961 adult respondents over the age of 18. To identify the association, we performed chi-squared tests. The multinomial logistic regression model was used to determine the most significant variables to the development of hypertension and prehypertension in Bangladesh.Results: Individuals over the age of 65 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 9.423, confidence interval [CI]: 7.806-11.378) were almost 10 times more likely to develop hypertension in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, those who are obese had a 4.36 times higher risk of hypertension and a 2.56 times higher risk of developing prehypertension. Therefore, we can conclude that the development of prehypertension and hypertension was significantly influenced by age, obesity, and diabetes.Conclusion: These findings suggested that age, overweight, marital status, wealth index, education, and diabetes were significant risk factors for hypertension and prehypertension. The study's findings will help Bangladesh's government and policymakers develop effective policies and initiatives to prevent hypertension in adults.