Changes in Prevalence and Determinants of Self-Reported Hypertension among Bangladeshi Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sabuj Kanti Mistry (), Mehrab Ali Arm, Uday Narayan Yadav, Fouzia Khanam, Md. Nazmul Huda, David Lim, Alauddin Chowdhury Abm and Haribondhu Sarma
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Sabuj Kanti Mistry: ARCED Foundation, 13/1 Pallabi, Mirpur-12, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
Mehrab Ali Arm: ARCED Foundation, 13/1 Pallabi, Mirpur-12, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
Uday Narayan Yadav: Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Fouzia Khanam: Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh
Md. Nazmul Huda: ARCED Foundation, 13/1 Pallabi, Mirpur-12, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
David Lim: School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia
Alauddin Chowdhury Abm: Department of Public Health, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
Haribondhu Sarma: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-14

Abstract: The present study aimed to assess the changes in the prevalence and determinants of self-reported hypertension among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. This repeated cross-sectional study was conducted on two successive occasions (October 2020 and September 2021), overlapping the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. The survey was conducted through telephone interviews among Bangladeshi older adults aged 60 years and above. The prevalence of hypertension was measured by asking a question about whether a doctor or health professional told the participants that they have hypertension or high blood pressure and/or whether they are currently using medication to control it. We also collected information on the socio-economic characteristics of the participants, their cognitive ability, and their COVID-19-related attributes. A total of 2077 older adults with a mean age of 66.7 ± 6.4 years participated in the study. The samples were randomly selected on two successive occasions from a pre-established registry developed by the ARCED Foundation. Thus, the sample in the 2021-survey (round two; n = 1045) was not the same as that in the 2020-survey (round one; n = 1031) but both were drawn from the same population. The findings revealed that the prevalence of hypertension significantly increased across the two periods (43.7% versus 56.3%; p = 0.006). The odds of hypertension were 1.34 times more likely in round two than in the round one cohort (AOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.06–1.70). We also found that having formal schooling, poorer memory or concentration, and having had received COVID-19 information were all associated with an increased risk of hypertension in both rounds ( p < 0.05). The findings of the present study suggest providing immediate support to ensure proper screening, control, and treatment of hypertension among older adults in Bangladesh.

Keywords: hypertension; older adults; COVID-19; determinants; prevalence; Bangladesh (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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