Abstract

Hypertension is the force of blood pushing up against the walls of blood vessels and it is defined as a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mm Hg. It is estimated to cause 9.4 million deaths every year. This study aims to conduct ordinal logistic regression analysis of hypertension severity and identifying associated factors for severity of hypertension, using the data of Gondar Univeristy Referral Hospital, North west Ethiopia.  The cumulative logit or the proportional odds regression model is one of the popular choices used to study covariate effects on ordinal responses. The proportional odds model was used to model the severity of hypertension and to identify associated factors for its severity. The fit of the model was illustrated with 420 hypertension records obtained from Gondar University Referral Teaching Hospital (in the chronic illness medication and follow up clinic). Findings of this study show that age of patients (OR= 2.195, P = 0.0051), residence (OR= 1.954, P = 0.0008), alcohol use (OR= 2.329, P = 0.0027), using salty foods (OR= 1.970, P = 0.0007), habit of using vegetable/fruit (OR= 0.516, P = 0.0010), doing physical exercise (OR= 0.571, P = 0.0062) and BMI (OR= 3.293, P <0.0001) had significant association with severity of hypertension. Polices and plans have to be put in place to motivate vegetable/fruit users, to decrease the consumption of salty foods,  non-alcohol drinkers, normal body mass index and concerned bodies need to implement hypertension prevention strategies.

Key words: Hypertension severity, ordinal logistic regression, proportional odds model.

Abbreviation

AIC, Akaike information criteria; BMI, Body mass index; GoUTH, Gondar university teaching hospital; HTN, Hypertension; OLR, Ordinal logistic regression; OR, Odds ratio; OPD, Outpatient department; PO, Proportional odds; POM, Proportional odds model; PPOM, Partial proportional odds model; WHO, World health organization; WHOROEM, World health organization Regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean.