Noise reduction will likely reduce burden of hypertension in Ibadan — Study

A reduction in noise generation, transmission, and exposure could alleviate the burden of hypertension in Ibadan, a study has suggested.

In a new study, researchers reported that proximity to noise sources, being unemployed and educational level were associated with diagnosed hypertension in urban settings.

The study, which included Olalekan J. Taiwo, Akinkunmi Okekunle, Joshua O. Akinyemi, Ayodeji Adebayo, Rufus O. Akinyemi, Bruce Ovbiagele, Mayowa Owolabi, and others, was published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition.

Hypertension is a chronic medical condition characterised by a persistent elevation of blood pressure equal or greater than 140/90 mmHg. It is a growing public health concern in Nigeria, characterised by rising prevalence rates and low awareness and treatment levels.

Nigeria has a significant prevalence of hypertension, with approximately 25.4% of the population affected, and it is among the most critical risk factors for death and cardiovascular diseases.

The study investigated the likelihood of being diagnosed with hypertension using distance from noise-generating sources, distance to blood pressure monitoring outlets, and socio-demographic and clinical status of the participants in Ibadan, Nigeria.

It also examined the likelihood of being diagnosed with hypertension based on distance from noise-generating sources, distance to blood pressure monitoring outlets, and the socio-demographic and clinical status of participants.

Data was collected from 13,531 adults in Ibadan through a door-to-door questionnaire survey as part of the African Rigorous Innovative Stroke Epidemiological Surveillance (ARISES) project.

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The Geographic Information System was used to buffer locations of healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical shops, bus stops, churches, and mosques at 100 m intervals, and hypertension patient coordinates were overlaid.

Hotspots of persons diagnosed with hypertension are within the localities where all the churches and mosques are located. Similarly, the hotspots of persons diagnosed with hypertension also aligned with the major roads.

Individuals diagnosed with hypertension lived significantly closer to churches and bus terminals compared to those without hypertension. Also, there is an association between the level of traffic noise and increased blood pressure among cab drivers.

Comparatively, the likelihood of having hypertension was higher among the unemployed, married, and divorced persons. Similarly, the likelihood of hypertension increased with education, age group and income.

Other factors significantly associated with diagnosed hypertension included diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, obesity, stroke, tobacco use, kola nut consumption, and alcohol consumption.

According to them, the proliferation of noise-generating sources, including religious centres, and their widespread distribution in the study area likely expose residents to significant noise pollution and it is a probable contributor to the increasing burden of hypertension.

They added that public health interventions that address not only individual lifestyle choices but also the environmental and socioeconomic conditions that predispose urban populations are crucial in mitigating the high burden of hypertension.