Prevalence, Risk Factors and age of onset of Hypertension among School teachers in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Hypertension is the major contributor to morbidity and reduced quality of life, yet school teachers are rarely prioritized for screening in Pakistan. This study estimated the prevalence of hypertension, associated risk factors, and age of onset among school teachers in Punjab, Pakistan. The data was collected through a cross-sectional survey for this study, starting from September 2022 to April 2023. A structured questionnaire captured socio-demographic characteristics, medical history and possible risk factors. Of the two thousand approached teachers, 754 provided consent, and only 257 participated in the study. Results revealed 11.28% of adults are diagnosed with high blood pressure (11.11% of males, 11.76% of females). Moderate work pressure was reported by the majority of both males and females (51%). Males and females had different lifestyles, the amount of fatty foods eaten, the number of times medication is taken, using tobacco products, and getting ≤5 hours of sleep per night (19.12% females, 5.82% males). The average age for males being diagnosed with hypertension was 42.05±9.79 years, and for females was 34.87±6.