Prevalence of Hypertension and its Association with Nutritional Factors Among University Students in Shah Alam, Malaysia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2017.544.549Keywords:
High risk, hypertension, nutritional factors, waist circumference, young ageAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the association of nutritional and lifestyle factors with the prevalence of hypertension among University students in Shah Alam, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students from different departments using self-administered questionnaires that concerned socio demographic information, nutritional habits and lifestyle factors. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were recorded using calibrated equipment. Results: A total of 410 students (111 males and 299 females) participated in the study. The results showed that 41 students (10%) had hypertension and of these 51.2% were male and 48.8% were female. There was no significant association between gender and hypertension (p<0.001). However, nutritional status and waist circumference were associated with hypertension status (p<0.015, p = 0.015, respectively). After logistic regression analysis, the only two factors found to be associated with hypertension were gender and waist circumference. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension among University students in this study was 10%. Given the young age of the respondents, this prevalence is relatively high and suggests that health education program about maintaining a healthy lifestyle should be arranged for University students.
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