A Community-Based Study on Waist-to-Height Ratio: An Indicator for Systolic Hypertension in a Rural Community of Hilly Region

The prevalence of hypertension gradually becomes a serious public health threat as it is a very pertinent risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) among the hilly region's rural community and identify the indicators of ISH among study participants. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1220 participants in the rural community of the hilly region. A multistage random sampling technique was applied to recruit the participants. Demographic and anthropometric dimensions were measured to analyze the outcome of the study. The participants' mean age was 44.42 ± 15.54 years, with a majority of 822 female participants (67.40%). The prevalence of ISH was found as 27.45%. A statistically significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) of the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI) were observed with systolic blood pressure (SBP) in male as well as female participants, whereas BMI and WHtR had no correlation with diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Among female participants, the area under the curve (AUC) for BMI and WHtR was 0.604 (95% confidence interval 0.565-0.643, p-value = 0.020*) and 0.622 (95% confidence interval 0.584-0.660, p-value = 0.020*), respectively. Among male participants, the AUC for BMI and WHtR was 0.574 and 0.592, respectively. Hence, it cannot be considered very satisfactory. The increasing prevalence of ISH in a rural community is also a public health concern. At the preliminary stage, anthropocentric measurements are the primary tool for a family physician while treating the patients. This study concluded that WHtR is a better indicator than BMI for systolic hypertension. Although we have not observed a strong correlation of WHtR with systolic hypertension, it is required to perform future research to support this study's evidence.