Prehypertension and Hypertension among Nursing Students in Southwest Nigeria

Background: Hypertension, also known as the "silent killer", constitutes a major threat to the health of people all over the world. It can start during adolescence and continue into adulthood. It is often difficult to diagnose early in adolescents and youths because they are otherwise healthy. Therefore, the risk of presenting with complications and target organ damage is high in them. Objective: To determine the prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension among Nigerian nursing students. Methods: A retrospective study of 216 students admitted into the College of Nursing between 2019 and 2021 was done. The gender, age, weight, height and blood pressure were retrieved from the medical records. Results: The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension were 31.0% and 2.8%, respectively. Prehypertension was higher among females and overweight students, while hypertension was higher among males and obese participants. Hypertension was significantly associated with gender and body mass index. Conclusion: The prevalence of prehypertension was high in this study. Therefore, there is a need for regular screening and health education of young adults on prehypertension to prevent progression into hypertension in later life.