ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between anthropometric variables and blood pressure among adults in Ikwuano Local Government Area, Abia State. This study was a cross-sectional survey used to assess anthropometric variables and blood pressure of 429 rural adults from two different communities in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State. Information on socio-demographic characteristics and anthropometric variables were collected using a structured questionnaire, while sphygmomanometer was used to access blood pressure. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. A P value of less than 0.05 was accepted at statistically significant. Results from this study revealed that majority of the respondents were males (52.9%) and more than half of the respondents (59.1%) were aged between 20-30 years. The major occupation observed in this study was artisan (34.7%), slightly more than half of the population had normal blood pressure and some had pre-hypertension or elevated blood pressure (24.2%).  Less than a quarter of the participants (23.8%) and (15.9%) were overweight and obese, respectively, while more than half of the participants (56.4%) had normal weight. Half of the participants (50.8%) had high risk waist-hip ratio while some (38.2%) had low risk waist-hip ratio. All the anthropometric variables, systolic pressure and BMI (r = 0.199, P<0.01), diastolic pressure and BMI (r = 0.218, P<0.01), blood pressure status and waist circumference (r = 0.231, P<0.01), showed a positive correlation with blood pressure, while an insignificant positive correlation (P<0.01) was observed between blood pressure status and waist-hip ratio (r = 0.057; p = 0.243). This study revealed a relationship between blood pressure and anthropometric variables of adults in Ikwuano Local Government Area, Abia State. It is recommended that a healthy way of life such as maintaining a healthy diet and exercising should be implemented to reduce obesity and hypertension.