Undiagnosed Hypertension and Its Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study among Adults in a Rural Municipality of Nepal

IntroductionHypertension is a silent killer. Early detection of hypertension is crucial for effective management. Yet, the condition remains unnoticed until complications emerge, especially in resource limited setting. ObjectiveThe main objective of this study was to assess prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and its associated factors among adults residing in Jwalamukhi Rural Municipality, Dhading, Bagmati Province. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among the individuals aged 18 years and above between November 10 and May 10, 2024, in a Rural Municipality of Dhading district, Nepal. A multistage sampling method was used to select 422 study participants. Data were collected using a structured, STEPwise questionnaire, entered into EpiData 3.1, and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Descriptive analysis and Chi-square or Fishers exact tests was used to assess the factors associated with undiagnosed hypertension a. Predictors with p<0.05 were chosen for further multivariate analysis. Odds ratio was utilized to evaluate the strength of relationships (95% CI), where a p-value of <0.05 indicated statistical significance. ResultsThe Prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was found to be 30.80% [95% CI: 26.4-35.5] where Male [AOR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.1-4.2], Salt consumption of more than 5 grams a day [AOR=3.1, 95% CI: 1.8-5.4], and blood pressure not measured regularly [AOR=5.5, 95% CI: 3.1-9.8] was associated with undiagnosed hypertension. ConclusionThis study revealed a high prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive and effective screening strategies to detect and manage hypertension in the broader population of Nepal.