Risk Factors Influencing the Prevalence of Hypertension in Low-and Middle-income Countries: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Hypertension is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases in modern society. Despite the issue having existed for years, no long-term interventions have been proven to completely curb it. This scoping review aims at examining the risk factors that influence the high prevalence of hypertension in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A systematic approach to literature collection is employed through a broad search strategy. The search utilised the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, DoPHER and TRoPHI. These databases were chosen because they provide the largest health science article collections, especially in public health, medicine and intervention research in LMICs. The initial search yielded 1 267 articles. However, through rigorous analysis and application of the exclusion criteria, only 30 articles were found to meet the inclusion criteria and thus used for the research analysis. The data analysis used the Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework. The results indicate that most people in LMICs have limited resources to enable quality and affordable access to health facilities. The government and relevant health departments have not invested significantly in ensuring the availability of health facilities and amenities. Another factor identified are lifestyle factors, as people in these countries have a high intake of unhealthy processed and fast foods. Most of the population is always trying to gain enough income to meet their basic needs and thus lack enough time to engage in physical exercise. However, the prevalence is also affected by regional levels, rationalising the need for specific interventions to address the prevailing issues. The research concludes with a recommendation for developing significant interventions and more regionally specific research, as root causes differ from country to country. There is also need to have more specific research that seeks to identify the relationship between cultural practices and hypertension prevalence.