Assessment of blood pressure status and its relationship with anthropometric indices among women in rural areas of Kerman province, Iran

High blood pressure (BP) is one of the most important modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, anthropometric indices such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) can independently and sometimes more severely lead to BP changes. The objective of this study was to assess BP status and its relationship with anthropometric indices among women in rural areas of Kerman province, Iran. This cross-sectional study was performed on 370 women of reproductive age (20-45 years old). General information were gathered from each sample using questionnaire and face-to-face interview. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were measured and BMI and WHR were calculated for each subject. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient tests. 15.9% and 22.8% of subjects were obese and abdominal obese (WHR>0.8) respectively. 14.3% of subjects were also hypertensive. BP significantly increased with weight, BMI, WHR, waist circumference and number of pregnancy. Furthermore, BMI was positively associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r =0.26, p<0. 002 and r =0.32, p<0.0001 respectively).There was also a positive correlation between WHR with SBP (r =0.22, p<0.003) and DBP (r =0.24, p<0.002). In addition, waist circumference was positively correlated with DBP (r =0.18, p<0.05). Anthropometric indices have positive and significant correlation with blood pressure changes in women of reproductive age. It is generally recommended to consider weight control and body fitness for hypertension prevention in women.