Prevalence of Hypertension and its Associated Factors among Public Vehicle Drivers in Western Nepal: A Population-based Study

Introduction : Hypertension presents a major global health problem, impacting persons across all ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles. Occupational risk factors interlinked to hypertension are poorly researched in Nepal. The study aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among public vehicle drivers. Methods : In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 358 public vehicle drivers from Pokhara Metropolitan City by visiting randomly selected parking stations and approaching divers during their rest time. Trained examiners measured blood pressure for three times and completed a questionnaire to assess demographic, lifestyle and occupational factors. Blood pressure of 140/90 or more was diagnosed as hypertension. The chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to identify the risk factors of hypertension. Results : The mean age of respondents was 37.3 ± 8.5 years, and all of them were male. The prevalence of hypertension was 41.9%. Age [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.84], BMI (aOR=0.46), alcohol (aOR 0.44), and medication (aOR=0.05) were found to be significantly associated with hypertension. Conclusion : Nearly half of drivers had hypertension, which was associated with age, being overweight, alcohol and substance use and family history of hypertension. Drivers with these particular risk factors should be targeted for screening and management of hypertension.