A STUDY ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IN POLICE OFFICERS IN OBIO/AKPOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, RIVERS STATE

The purpose of this study was to examine sociodemographic characteristics as a predictor of high blood pressure among police officers in Rivers State's Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. At a 0.05 alpha level, four objectives and three null hypotheses were established and tested. The study used a descriptive correlational strategy. The study enrolled one thousand, one hundred and forty-two (1,142) police officers. This study enrolled 300 police officers who used Taro Yamene. The sample for the study was selected using a two-stage selection technique. The data collection instrument was a self-administered structured questionnaire titled "Sociodemographic variables and Body Mass Index as Correlates of Hypertension." Cronbach's Alpha was used to determine the validated instrument's reliability coefficient (0.74). The acquired data were analyzed using statistical tools such as mean, standard deviation, ANOVA, and chi-square with the help of SPSS version 25.0. According to the study's findings in Table 1, there was around a 180 (60.6 percent) prevalence of hypertension among police officers in Rivers State's Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. The outcomes of this study established a strong association between body mass index (BMI) and hypertension among police officers in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State (p.05). The outcomes of this study established a strong link between age and hypertension among police officers in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State (p.05). The study's findings suggested that there was no significant link between gender and hypertension among police officers in Rivers State's Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (p >.05). It was discovered that police officers had a significant frequency of hypertension. To avoid developing cardiovascular disease, police officers should also make a conscious effort to maintain a healthy balance in their health, notably by monitoring their body mass index, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, and total serum cholesterol