Prevalence of Hypertension and Its Association with Anthropometric Indices among Students of the University of Maroua (Far North Region, Cameroon)

Abstract

Aims: Hypertension (HTN) is one of the major public health problems in the world, especially in developing countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate its prevalence and its association with anthropometric indices among students of the University of Maroua. Study Design: A cross-sectional, analytical, and descriptive study was designed. Place and Duration of Study: Two campuses of the University of Maroua located in the Far-North Region of Cameroon. Sampling was done between January and February 2018. Methodology: A total of 330 Cameroonian and Chadian students aged 17 to 35 years were recruited. Anthropometric parameters (weight, height, waist, and hip circumference) and blood pressure were measured. Hypertension (HTN) was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Data were analyzed with Chi-square, Student t-test, simple linear regression, and multivariate analysis. Results: The prevalence of HTN was 8.2% according to WHO criteria and 21.8% according to IDF criteria. Men were more affected (10%) than women (3.4%). Students aged 26-30 years old were the most affected (27%). Isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH) was the most common subtype in the general population, regardless of gender and nationality. Most participants with hypertension were in the pre-HTN stage (11.5%). Overweight (OR=3.73; 95% CI: 1.39-10.00) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) ≥0.5 (OR=3.64; 95% CI: 1.27-10.44) significantly increased the risk of developing HTN among students. Conclusion: HTN is increasing among young students at the University of Maroua and is strongly associated with anthropometric indices such as BMI and WHtR. Regular monitoring of blood pressure, BMI, and WHtR will help early detection and prevention of the silent onset of HTN among these young people.