Original articlePrevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors in BeninPrévalence de l’hypertension artérielle et facteurs de risque associés en population générale au Bénin☆
Introduction
More than one-quarter of the world adult population has hypertension (HTN), expected to reach 29% by 2025, i.e., nearly 1.6 billion hypertensive subjects in the world [1]. HTN is one of the main cardiovascular risk factors in terms of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity [2]. Of 17 million patients who die every year of cardiovascular diseases, seven to eight million are estimated to be hypertensive [3]. The prevalence of HTN is gradually increasing in the world because of the aging of the population as well as the increase in the proportion of obese or overweight subjects [4], [5]. It is estimated that in 2025 nearly three-quarters of the hypertensive population will be living in developing countries because of massive urbanization [6], [7]. HTN involves approximately 20 million people in Africa and its prevalence varies widely, between 20 and 30% [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13]. Continuing to carry the burdensome weight of infectious diseases, over the past few decades, Africa has been confronted with an explosion of noncommunicable diseases as well.
Benin has not been spared, in view of the partial data available [14]. In terms of risk factors, the expression “high blood pressure” (HBP) is recommended and the 2002 report on health in the world identified it as one of the eight main risk factors of noncommunicable diseases [3]. The lack of national studies on this risk factor and the absence of a monitoring system designed for noncommunicable diseases in this country have motivated this study.
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension in Benin in 2008 and to identify the associated risk factors.
Section snippets
Study description
Located in Western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea between 6 and 12 degrees north, Benin covers a surface area of 114,763 km2. Its population was estimated at 8,364,942 inhabitants in 2008 based on projections of the 2002 census [15]. Children under 15 years of age comprise 49% of the population. Life expectancy at birth is 59.2 years. Benin is composed of 12 administrative departments, 77 towns, and 546 arrondissements subdivided into neighborhoods/villages. Its main economic activities are
Description of the sample
A total of 6853 individuals, 25–64 years of age, were included in the sample, taking into account that in order to complete each cluster, all the eligible subjects in the last household were interviewed. Within this sample, 6786 answered all the questions, for a 99% response rate. Females accounted for 49.5% of this population. Subjects who were 25–34 years old comprised the largest group: 31.5% (Table 1). The mean age (± standard deviation) was 42.7 ± 12.4 years. The proportions of subjects by
Discussion
This study was conducted following the STEPS method recommended by the WHO for screening and monitoring risk factors of noncommunicable diseases [21]. This approach ensures that the results of STEPS studies conducted at different sites can be compared. The behavioral factors were studied based on subject declarations and therefore information and data biases may have been introduced. However, they were minimized in a context in which the factors studied were not stigmatizing and the times
Conclusion
This study has measured the significance of HTN in the general population in Benin. More than one adult out of four has hypertension and nearly four subjects out of five are not aware that they have high blood pressure. These results are very worrying. It is therefore clear that effective preventive measures must be implemented to contribute to reducing the incidence, morbidity, and mortality caused by HTN. Moreover, they indicate the need to conduct more detailed research to explain the high
Disclosure of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest concerning this article.
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2022, PhytomedicineCitation Excerpt :Although hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor identified initially in Western industrialized countries (Maione et al., 2013), its prevalence is increasing continuously in developing countries and, in particular, in sub-Saharan Africa (Tokoudagba et al., 2010). Studies conducted in 2008 in 12 departments of Benin on 6853 people aged 25–64 years old showed that the prevalence of hypertension is 27.9% (Houinato et al., 2012). Additional studies have been carried out in 2015 on 1777 people aged over 25 years in the population of Tanvè, a rural area 150 km north of Cotonou, and on 717 people aged 18–64 years in the Atlantic region of Benin.
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Study conducted within the National Noncommunicable Disease Control Program (Programme national de lutte contre les maladies non transmissibles [PNLMNT]) of the Benin Health Ministry in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO).