Towards Nigeria's first National Blood Pressure Survey: a pilot study of arterial blood pressure in members of the National Youth Service Corps.
The need for a National Blood Pressure (BP) Survey in Nigeria prompted this pilot study. It was aimed at a target population of 50,000 Nigerians on National Service representing the 19 States of Nigeria. Five-hundred-and-eighty-five subjects aged 18-54 years (18.3% of study population [465 male (79.5%) and 120 female (20.5%)] from a population of 3,200 Corps members had their BP measured with a mercury sphygmomanometer in August 1982. Of these, 102 subjects (17.4%) and 47 subjects (8.0%) had BO greater than or equal to 140/90 and greater than or equal to 160/95 mmHg respectively. Only 17 subjects (16.7%) came back for a recheck and 14 (13.7%) remained hypertensive. More males had BP greater than or equal to 140/90 (P less than 0.05). There was a rise in BP with age in both sexes but mean systolic and diastolic BP were higher in males in all age groups. With a prevalence of 8.0% of hypertension and the chosen target population, a National BP survey would be a feasible and cost effective programme for Nigeria.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012737:Sex Factors