A population-based cross-sectional study in rural Bangladesh found that 33.7% of men and 28.6% of women had elevated blood pressure, with age, gender, and socioeconomic status identified as significant predictors of hypertension, and age and overweight/obesity as the strongest risk factors in both genders.
A substantial proportion of rural Bangladeshi adults had elevated blood pressure qualifying them as prehypertensive or hypertensive.
Age, gender, and socioeconomic status were identified as significant predictors of hypertension in multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Overweight and obesity rates were higher among individuals from higher socioeconomic status groups in both men and women.
Higher socioeconomic status was associated with greater fruit and vegetable consumption in both men and women.
A significant association between tobacco consumption and age was observed in women.
Physical activity levels varied by age and socioeconomic status, with notable gender differences.
This study addresses a gap in population-based research on hypertension in rural Bangladesh.
This research surveyed over 7,000 rural households across 149 villages in Bangladesh to understand how common high blood pressure is and what factors contribute to it. The study found that roughly one in three men (33.7%) and more than one in four women (28.6%) had blood pressure levels high enough to classify them as prehypertensive or hypertensive — a significant public health concern. Getting older and being overweight or obese were the strongest predictors of high blood pressure for both men and women. The study also revealed important connections between socioeconomic status (SES), lifestyle, and hypertension risk. People with higher incomes were more likely to be overweight or obese, but also more likely to eat fruits and vegetables. Women with higher SES were more likely to engage in moderate physical activity, while older men (ages 45-54) were generally more physically active. Among women, tobacco use was strongly linked to age. Interestingly, education level was not significantly associated with hypertension risk in women, suggesting that simply improving educational attainment may not be sufficient to reduce hypertension rates among rural Bangladeshi women. This research suggests that efforts to reduce hypertension in rural Bangladesh need to account for gender-specific risk factors, differences between rural and urban populations, and the role of socioeconomic context. A one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be effective. Policy interventions should specifically target the risks associated with increasing overweight and obesity rates, particularly as economic conditions change in rural communities, and should consider tailored approaches for men and women separately.
Badat S, Haque C, Hossain S, Katz A, Ahsan G. (2026). Prevalence and risk factors of hypertension in rural Bangladesh: A population-based cross-sectional study.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0351569