The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on the Occurrence of Hypertension

Abstract

Introduction: Coronary and cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with hypertension or high blood pressure being a primary risk factor. Despite being a symptomless and incurable ailment, hypertension is often diagnosed in its severe stage with severe symptoms. Socioeconomic factors are considered to be one of the causes of hypertension, although various studies have yielded conflicting results about the exact relationship between socioeconomic status and hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hypertension and socioeconomic status within our country.

Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to observe the effects of hypertension and socioeconomic status.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in the Department of Cardiology, Sheikh Hasina Medical College, Habiganj, Bangladesh during the time period of June 2019 to May 2021 with 160 patients showing stage II and above. The patients were made aware of the study, and properly informed consent was taken from the patients about using their personal data for the study. Ethical approval was collected from the respected authority.

Result: The study included more female than male participants, with a ratio of 3 to 5. Three-fourths of the participants were married, while the rest were unmarried. The youngest participant was 35 years old, and the oldest was 73 years old. Participants aged 35-39 years constituted only 10% of the total sample, whereas 37.5% were older than 60 years. Most of the participants (70%) were from rural areas, while the remaining 30% were from urban localities. Nearly half of the participants (48.75%) had no formal education, and only a small proportion (6.25%) had attained higher education.

Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, hypertension was more prevalent among females than males. The prevalence of hypertension was found to be lower in individuals with higher levels of education and higher incomes. Hypertension was more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas, and various socioeconomic factors were believed to impact the mental health and stress levels of participants.