Abstract

The Relationships and Risk Factors Associated with Hypertension, Diabetes, and Proteinuria among Adults from Bheramara Upazila, Bangladesh: Findings from Portable Health Clinic Data, 2013-2016

Author(s):Fumihiko Yokota, Ashir Ahmed, Rafiqul Islam, Mariko Nishikitani, Kimiyo Kikuchi, Yasunobu Nohara, Hiroshi Okajima, Hironobu Kitaoka and Naoki Nakashima

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among hypertension, diabetes, and proteinuria and their risk factors in adults who participated in a community-based mobile health check-up service called portable health clinic (PHC) in rural Bangladesh. Methods: Data were collected from 2890 individuals who agreed to participate in the PHC at Bheramara sub-district between 2013 and 2016. Data included basic demographic and health check-up information. Multivariate logistic regression models were used with three outcome variables (proteinuria, diabetes, and hypertension) and four independent and control variables (age, sex, pulse rate, and body mass index). Results: Among participants who had both hypertension and diabetes, 77% had proteinuria. Among those who had diabetes, 55% had proteinuria and 45% had hypertension. Age and sex-adjusted logistic regression models found that diabetes was significantly associated with proteinuria (odds ratio OR=3.0, P=0.005), while the association between hypertension and proteinuria showed borderline significance (P<0.057). Hypertension was significantly associated with diabetes after controlling for age and sex (OR=1.5, P<0.001). Participants aged older than 40 years had higher odds of having diabetes or having hypertension comparing with the odds for participants aged between 15 and 39 years. Conclusions: Prevention of complications in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) in Bheramara needs to focus on sub-populations aged older than 40 years and those with hypertension, diabetes, and/or proteinuria. PHC services in rural Bangladesh is important for screening a large number of unaware and undiagnosed diabetic, hypertensive, and proteinuria patients.

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