Anthropometric characteristics between ever and never screened for hypertension in Burkina Faso

Excess body weight was associated with a higher chance for hypertension detection.

To compare the anthropometric characteristics and blood pressure levels between Burkinabè adults who had ever been screened for hypertension and those who had never been screened, and to assess the associated factors with the uptake of hypertension screening.

Urban and rural Burkina Faso.

This was a secondary analysis using the Burkina Faso 2013 WHO Stepwise approach to Surveillance cross-sectional survey. Data from 3831 adult men and women were analysed. Descriptive and analytical analyses were performed using Student's t, ANOVA, ^{χ 2}, Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression.

Among participants, 41.6% (95% CI: 40.0-43.1) had never been screened for hypertension, and compared to those who had ever been screened, they had significantly lower mean weight, waist circumference and body mass index, and lower prevalence of overweight or obesity and abdominal obesity. The prevalence of prehypertension was similar between the two groups (around 40%) and the prevalence of hypertension was lower in those who had never been screened (17.3% vs 20.8%; p = 0.007). Overweight or obesity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.3; p = 0.03) and abdominal obesity (aOR = 1.3; p = 0.002) were associated with screening uptake.

The Burkinabè adults who had never been screened for hypertension were apparently thin, but pre-hypertension or hypertension was also common among them. Increasing body size (excess weight or abdominal obesity) may be the reason for screening uptake.

Specific awareness-raising messages to motivate slim people to undergo screening need to be developed.