Prevalence of Hypertension Among Women of Child Bearing Age in Zambia

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy account for 12 to 20 percent of the total maternal deaths in the world. Some of these disorders are precipitated by pre-existing chronic hypertension of which many women may not necessarily be aware. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of hypertension among women of childbearing age in Zambia. It was a cross-sectional study performed in an urban clinic in Lusaka and a rural clinic in Chibombo, Zambia. The study utilized the WHO STEP survey for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which measured 1) blood pressure and 2) risk factors for hypertension among nonpregnant women who came for their gynecological visit. 243 women between the ages of 18 to 45 years participated. Results showed that 18.6% of women were hypertensive in Lusaka and 6.7% in Chibombo. Among all risk factors examined, only BMI was significantly associated with hypertension.