Assessing the true association between hypertension status and stature of individuals in Bangladesh: propensity score analysis

Abstract

Inconsistent evidence is found in the literature regarding the association between individuals’ stature and hypertension status. In this study, an attempt has been made to investigate the true association between height and occurrence of hypertension. For analysis purpose, this study considers Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2011 data obtained from an observational study. By dividing height (tall/normal/short) based on 25th and 75th percentile points separately for females and males, a binary logistic regression model was fitted to the weighted data, where weights were calculated from propensity scores (PS). From the PS-based weighted data, we did not find any significant association between height and hypertension (p > 0.05). Besides the respondent’s height, logistic regression analyses of a balanced data set have revolved around some well-known factors that are associated with the occurrence of hypertension: gender of the respondent, higher wealth index status, as well as overweight. This study also found higher odds of occurring hypertension among the residents of Khulna and Rangpur divisions, whereas lower likelihood of hypertension is reported for the individual living in Chittagong and Sylhet districts. The findings of this paper indicate that human stature is not a risk factor for hypertension. Apart from height, this study uncovers some important risk factors for developing hypertension. By considering these factors, awareness should be raised among male, wealthier, and overweighted individuals in Bangladesh. However, why the prevalence of hypertension is higher in Khulna and Rangpur, as well as lower in Chittagong and Sylhet, demands further research.