HYPERTENSION AND DETERMINANTS OF BLOOD-PRESSURE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS IN A RURAL SOUTH INDIAN COMMUNITY

Objectives - The objective of the study was to establish the prevalenc e of hypertension and to assess determinants of blood pressure with sp ecial reference to socioeconomic status in a rural south Indian commun ity. Design - This was a door to door, cross sectional survey. Setting - A rural south Indian community, KV Kuppam panchayat, North Arcot Di strict, Tamil Nadu. Subjects - The area has a total population of 3500 people. Those aged over 20 years who were available at the time of me asurement were asked to participate (mean age 39.5 years). This conven ience sample totalled 1027 (456 men, 571 women). Out of 697 families, 487 were visited; 15 people refused to participate. Measurements and m ain results - The following potential determinants of blood pressure w ere assessed: age, body pulse rate, salt intake, meat and socioeconomi c class. The prevalence of hypertension was 12.5%. Using multiple line ar regression analysis, the most important positive determinants of hi gh blood pressure seemed to be age, body weight, and pulse rate. Salt and meat intake were not significantly associated with hypertension. T he prevalence of hypertension in the highest socioeconomic group (22.5 %) was more than twice that in the lowest socioeconomic group (8.8%). When adjusted for body weight, the mean (SEM) difference in systolic b lood pressure between the highest and lowest socioeconomic classes was 5.83 mmHg (1.63). Conclusion - Hypertension is not yet as important a health problem in rural southern India as it is in westernised societ ies. Those particularly at risk of hypertension, however, are the elde rly and overweight people of high socioeconomic class.