This study examined the effect of socio-demographic factors and obesity on blood pressure among adults in Gaza, Palestine. The study found that having a diseased mother, being obese, living in a large family, and having hypertension or both hypertension and diabetes were significant risk factors associated with high blood pressure. Specifically, participants with a diseased mother had 1.8 times higher odds of high blood pressure, obese participants had 2.7 times higher odds, those in large families had 0.6 times lower odds, and those with hypertension or both hypertension and diabetes had 5.0 or 2.7 times higher odds, respectively, of high blood pressure.

1. Effect of Socio-demographic Factors and Obesity
on Blood Pressure among Adults Based on Health
Status in Gaza, Palestine: The UPM-Gaza Study
Mohammed Ellulu
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics,
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

2. Background
• To identify risk factors of blood pressure due to
change of socio-demographic factors, obesity and
health status.
• Cross-sectional designed study of 482 participants
have chosen from Primary Health Care Centers in
Gaza Strip; Palestine.
• The study ethically approved by:
1. JKE-UPM: (FPSK_Mac (13)04).
2. Helsinki committee: (PHRC/HC/11/13).
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Nutrition (APCCN)

3. Distribution of sex by marital status
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Nutrition (APCCN)
95.4
73.9
4.6
26.1
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Male (No.: 174) Female (No.: 310)
Married Unmarried

4. Distribution of sex by education level
51.1
71.6
20.1
7.1
28.8
21.3
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Male (No.: 174) Female (No.: 310)
Low Moderate High
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4

5. Distribution of sex by health status
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17.8 23.9
26.4 19.4
29.4
18.7
26.4
38.1
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Male (No.: 174) Female (No.: 310)
Healthy HT T2DM HT+T2DM

6. Distribution of sex by obesity factors
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67.8
86.8
72.9
91.6
32.2
13.2
27.1
8.4
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Male (BMI) Female (BMI) Male (WC) Female (WC)
Obese Non-obese

7. Difference of BP due to change of sex
130
84.02
130
81.93
Systolic BP Diastolic BP
P value = 0.04
Male Female
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8. Difference of BP due to change of marital state
132
83.48
130
79.15
Systolic BP Diastolic BP
P value = 0.001
Married Unmarried
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9. 133.83
81.39
132.77
82.62
136.33
85.99
Systolic BP Diastolic BP
P value = 0.013
Small Medium Large
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Difference of BP due to change of family size

10. Difference of BP due to change of education
135
83.75
122
80.02
120
81.14
Systolic BP Diastolic BP
P value = 0.011
Low Moderate High
P value = 0.001
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11. Difference of BP due to change of menopause
124
80
140
82.5
Systolic BP Diastolic BP
P value = 0.006
Pre-menopause Post-menopause
P value ˂ 0.001
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12. Difference of BP due to change of health state
118
78
139
88
125
80
140
86
Systolic BP Diastolic BP
P value ˂ 0.001
Healthy Hypertensive Diabetic Hypertensive-diabetic
P value ˂ 0.001
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13. Difference of BP due to change of obesity
134
84
118
76
Systolic BP Diastolic BP
P value ˂ 0.001
Obese Normal weight
P value ˂ 0.001
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14. Correlations of BP with subject’s characteristics
Factors
Systolic BP Diastolic BP
Spearman’s Coefficient Spearman’s Coefficient
Age (years) rs= 0.444 rs= 0.170
WC (cm) rs= 0.434 rs= 0.374
Weight (kg) rs= 0.323 rs= 0.362
All correlations were significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
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15. Prediction of risk factors associated with the HT
Merging of SBP with DBP in one variable
SBP Total
Normal
(<130 mmHg)
High
(≥130 mmHg)
DBP
Normal (<85 mmHg) 180 107 287
High (≥85 mmHg) 26 169 195
Total 206 276 482
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16. Predication of risk factors associated with blood pressure (SBP≥130 & DBP≥85)
B S.E. Wald df Sig. Exp (B) 95%CI for Exp(B)
Lower Upper
Female -0.283 0.275 1.060 1 0.303 0.754 0.440 1.291
Age (years) 0.020 0.016 1.679 1 0.195 1.020 0.990 1.052
Married 0.163 0.318 0.262 1 0.609 1.177 0.631 2.196
Low education -0.076 0.314 0.058 1 0.810 0.927 0.501 1.716
High education -0.168 0.426 0.156 1 0.693 0.845 0.367 1.948
Medium family size -0.493 0.248 3.941 1 0.047* 0.611 0.376 0.994
Large family size -0.019 0.346 0.003 1 0.956 0.981 0.498 1.932
Obese 1.018 0.434 5.514 1 0.019* 2.768 1.183 6.475
WC (cm) 0.005 0.014 0.133 1 0.716 1.005 0.978 1.033
Weight (kg) 0.013 0.013 1.091 1 0.296 1.013 0.989 1.039
Hypertensive 1.613 0.416 15.048 1 0.001* 5.019 2.221 11.339
Diabetic 0.069 0.450 0.024 1 0.878 1.071 0.444 2.587
HT+DM 1.016 0.436 5.428 1 0.020* 2.762 1.175 6.492
Diseased father -0.369 0.237 2.417 1 0.120 0.692 0.434 1.101
Diseased mother 0.635 0.237 7.150 1 0.007* 1.886 1.185 3.003
Constant -4.929 1.142 18.639 1 0.000 0.007
Exp (B) = OR: Odds Ratio. (S.E.) = Standard Error
* Association is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
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17. Risk factors
No. Prediction of risk factors by Odds Ratio (OR)
1 If participants have or had mother diseased by HT and/or diabetes
OR= [1.8] (95% CI: 1.185 to 3.003)
2 If the participant is obese
OR= [2.7] (95% CI: 1.183 to 6.475)
3 If the participants live in large family (OR decreased by smaller families)
OR= [0.6] (95% CI: 1.285 to 8.466)
4 If participants diseased by HT or HT+Type-2 DM
OR= [5.0] (95% CI: 2.221 to 11.339) or [2.7] (95% CI: 1.175 to 6.492)
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