A call to action for osteoporosis research in sub-saharan Africa Yacoba Atiase and Akuffo Quarde

Background: There are indications that prehypertension precedes hypertension. Like hypertension, it is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Objective: To determine the prevalence, awareness and correlates of prehypertension and hypertension among adults in Delta State, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. We recruited adults aged ≥18 years from two communities in Delta State, Nigeria, using the multi-stage sampling technique. The study instrument was a modified WHO-STEPS questionnaire.Prehypertension and hypertension were defined using the JNC-7 criteria. Ethical approval was obtained before the recruitment of participants. Results: Of the 852 adults studied, the mean (±SD) age was 42.64 (±16.07) years, females (55.9%) and urban dwellers (55.8%). The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension were 42.5% and 29.3%, respectively; both were higheramong urban dwellers. The peak age-group for prehypertension and hypertension were 25-34 and 35-44 years, respectively.Awareness of hypertension was low; 12.0% (102/852). Blood pressure category significantly correlated with age, body mass index, place of residence, level of education, employment status and fruit intake. Conclusion: The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension in this study were high. Based on the premise that prehypertension is a precursor of hypertension and occurred more among youths, the higher prevalence of prehypertensiongives an inkling to rising prevalence of hypertension. Keywords: Prehypertension, hypertension, adults, Nigeria, WHO STEPS Funding: Nil