The prevalence of hypertension and influencing factors among the employees of a university hospital.

Kurtul, Seher; Ak, Funda Kaya; Türk, Meral

Background Hypertension is a serious disease with increasing worldwide prevalence, leading to life-threatening complications. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in a university hospital. The Occupational Health and Safety Unit data concerning the health examinations of employees were used to determine the prevalence of hypertension in a university hospital and to define the relationship between hypertension and sociodemographic and occupational parameters. Logistic regression analyses were performed for the variables having a significant association with high blood pressure. Results The data generated during the periodic examination of 3,480 (92%) of all employees (3,780) were analyzed. The prevalence of hypertension was 14.8%. The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 13.5%, 13.9%, and 23.7% among physicians, non-physician healthcare personnel and officers respectively. The logistic regression model revealed a statistically significant correlation between hypertension and male gender, age and BMI. Conclusion The prevalence of hypertension was highest among staff members. Special programs would facilitate the diagnosis, control, and prevention of high blood pressure among the high-risk groups, especially men, the elderly and the obese hospital employees.