Prevalence and Associated Factors of Hypertension among Health Workers: A Systematic Review
Abstract
Background: There is an increasing burden of hypertension which has devastating consequences as it is associated with premature death and cardiovascular disease. Hypertension affects people from different walks of life, including healthcare workers. However, the prevalence of hypertension and risk factors among healthcare workers remain poorly understood. This systematic review was therefore conducted to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among healthcare workers.
Methods: The PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant literature. The review included studies published from 1990 to 2023 that provided information on the prevalence of hypertension and associated factors among healthcare workers. Titles and abstracts were used to review retrieved studies and full texts were screened for eligibility.
Results: A total of 21 studies were included in the review. The prevalence of hypertension among healthcare workers ranges from 13 to 40%. Several factors have been found to be associated with hypertension among healthcare workers, including male gender, being married, increasing age, increasing BMI, smoking, and workplace stress.
Conclusion: Healthcare workers are at a high risk of hypertension and pre-hypertension and implementing workplace wellness programs and providing regular blood pressure monitoring education can significantly improve their overall health outcomes.
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