Publication: Status of Hypertension and Its Associated Factors Among Undergraduate Medical Students of a Private Medical College in Lalitpur District
Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
Hypertension, a significant global health concern, warrants exploration within the
unique context of medical student populations. Hypertension is a silent killer and
is a leading cause of premature morbidity and mortality particularly in developing
countries including Nepal. Medical students are prone to stress, long working hours,
unsteady and unhealthy lifestyles such as lack of exercise, eating unhealthy food
which are high risk factors contributing to hypertension.
Objective
To assess the prevalence of hypertension and its associated risk factors among
undergraduate medical students.
Method
A Cross-sectional study was conducted between August to November 2023 among
the undergraduate medical students from first-year to final-year and interns at a
teaching hospital after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review
Committee. A total enumeration sampling technique was used. Chi square test was
used to determine the association between variable and P value less than 0.05 was
fixed for statistically significant.
Result
Out of 500 participants, 234 (46.80%) were reported to have hypertension according
to the classification of the American Heart Association, 2023. Among them, 169
(72.22%) were male and 65 (27.78%) were female, with a male-to-female ratio of
2.6:1. Male participants had significantly higher odds of developing hypertension
compared to females, with a crude odds ratio (COR) of 3.116 (95% CI: 2.144–4.53, p
< 0.001) and an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 2.815 (95% CI: 1.914–4.139, p < 0.001).
Participants categorized as “Obese” also had significantly higher odds of developing
hypertension compared to “Non-obese” individuals, with a COR of 1.862 (95% CI:
1.189–2.916, p = 0.006) and an AOR of 1.636 (95% CI: 1.026–2.607, p = 0.039).
Conclusion
The high frequency of hypertension in this study could indicate a hidden epidemic
among medical students. The results suggest that effective health screening and
routine examinations are necessary, in addition to measures that support healthy
lifestyles.
KEY WORDS
Alcohol consumption, Blood pressure, Hypertension, Obesity, Sex, Smoking habit
Description
Sah SK, Singh N, Pandey S, Sherpa (Lama) AT, Panta PP, Shah S, Ghising K, Rai N
Department of Community Medicine
KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital
Imadol, Lalitpur, Nepal
Keywords
Alcohol consumption, Blood pressure, Hypertension, Obesity, Sex, Smoking habit