Waist Circumference, Blood Pressure and Lifestyle of Sudanese Population, Khartoum Locality, Sudan 2016

Aims: To measure the waist circumference of Sudanese adults in Khartoum Locality and its relationship to blood pressure and lifestyle during celebration of international day of hypertension in May 2016 .

Study Design: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study.

Place of the Celebration: Khartoum Locality at Alsahaa Alkhadraa (The Green Park).

Methodology: A total of 364 adult participants, 196 men and 168 women were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Blood pressure (BP) was measured considering hypertension as ≥ 140 mmHg and ≥ 90 mmHg for systole and diastole BP respectively. Waist circumference was measured using an anthropometric measuring tape at cut-off point of 94 cm and 80 cm for men and women respectively. Data was managed by SPSS version 20 and Chi-square test at 95% CL was used to test the association between waist circumference, blood pressure and life style characteristics.

Results: Age distribution of the study population showed 48.2% females and 45.4% males in the middle age group (38-57 years). Two thirds of the study population were hypertensive, 62.8% of males and 64.3% of females. The mean waist circumference of men was 97.82 cm + 16.7, mean Systolic BP was 127 + 22 and mean Diastolic BP was 85 + 15. The mean waist circumference of women was 99.31 + 16.2, mean Systolic was 128 + 24 and mean Diastolic BP was 84 +17.

Abnormal waist circumference was found in 61.2% of males and 86.9% of females. Fifty nine (30.1%) of the males and 86 (51.2%) of the females with abnormal waist circumference were hypertensive. The association between abnormal waist circumference and high blood pressure was significant among both sexes, P value = 0.001.

Physical exercise and fat and salt foods were not significantly associated waist circumference in both men and women.

Conclusion: Two thirds of women and men in the celebrating areas were hypertensive. Half of women and one third of men were significantly hypertensive and having abnormal waist circumference. Doing physical exercise, avoiding fat and salt foods was insignificantly associated with normal waist circumference. Large survey with representative sample is needed to estimate the real Sudanese waist circumference.