A community-based case control study was conducted to identify risk factors of hypertension in Phuttamonthon District, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand. The selected case sample comprised of 115 females aged 40 years and over who were diagnosed as hypertensive (Blood Pressure (BP) >140/90 mmHg). The control sample consisted of 109 females in the same age range with normal blood pressure (BP<140/90 mmHg). Data collection was carried out between January 15 and February 14, 2004. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information that was required for the objective determination in this study.
The results indicated that the most significant risk factor of hypertension in the study area was obesity (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.62-3.63). It was confirmed that diabetes was also a risk factor of hypertension (OR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.08-5.43). When obesity and diabetes were combined, the risk of developing hypertension was elevated (OR = 4.10, 95% CI = 1.17-15.72). There was no significant association between hypertension and sodium consumption behavior, salty food consumption (OR = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.44-1.36) and risky eating habit (OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 0.60-1.83).
According to the results, the most prioritized intervention to control hypertension in the study area is body weight modification. Although moderating sodium consumption is becoming the most prioritized nationwide intervention to control blood pressure based on findings of studies mostly conducted in Bangkok, it is not the most effective strategy in the study area. Considering regional differences, it would lead effective results if future interventions can focus on specific areas in which people are having similar patterns of diet and physical exercise, social conventions and culture, in combinations with population-wide approaches as well as with individual-based interventions.