title: Blood pressure, body mass index and socio-economic status in the urban population of Antananarivo (Madagascar).
abstract: In many developing countries and especially those in the Indian Ocean, the prevalences of hypertension and obesity have increased markedly over the past decade. In a community-based study set in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, multi-level modelling has now been used to look for associations between blood pressure or body mass index (BMI) and levels of occupation, education and income, among 773 adults. Many (23%) of the subjects had elevated blood pressure (i.e. over 140/90 mmHg). The prevalence of such elevated blood pressure increased with age - with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.16 and a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.81-2.58 for each 10-year increase - but decreased with educational level (high school: OR=0.74; CI = 0.41-1.31) and income (fourth quartile: OR= 0.66; CI = 0.35-1.27). The BMI data indicated that 18.4% of the subjects were underweight, 6.0% were overweight but not obese and 2.4% were obese. Being overweight was directly associated with level of occupation (management level: OR= 3.49; CI = 1.18-10.29) and income (fourth quartile: OR= 3.55;CI = 1.48-8.50). Despite the trends, underweight and overweight individuals and cases of elevated blood pressure were found to co-exist in all socio-economic classes.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003906:Developing Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007182:Income; D008270:Madagascar / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D012923:Social Class; D014505:Urban Population