Hypertension and health-related quality of life among Afghan school teachers: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a global health concern that significantly impacts the quality of life. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate health-related quality of life and the factors associated with it in hypertensive patients across the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted involving 503 public school teachers from Herat province of Afghanistan. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Bref 26 (WHOQOL-BREF 26) questionnaire was used to assess quality of life of participants. Each participant's blood pressure was assessed twice. Participants with a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher, a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher, or both, were classified as having hypertension. Results: Of the 503 participants, 23.5% of them had hypertension. Age group, gender, and aware of hypertension were significantly associated with presence of hypertension. Physical domain, psychological domain, and social relationship domain were significantly associated with prevalence of hypertension. Conclusion: This study underscores the significant impact of hypertension on the health-related quality of life among Afghan school teachers. Effective management strategies targeting physical, psychological, and social health are essential to mitigate the adverse effects of hypertension. Further research should explore the role of cultural and occupational factors in shaping the quality of life in this population.

Keywords

• hypertension
• quality of life
• school teachers
• herat-afghanistan