Body Mass Index and Physical Activity Are Associated with Hypertension Severity in a Primary Healthcare Population

Abstract

Hypertension remains a major public health problem and is strongly influenced by modifiable lifestyle-related factors, including excess body weight and low physical activity. Evidence regarding the association of body mass index (BMI) and physical activity with blood pressure grade among hypertensive patients in Indonesian primary healthcare settings remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the association between BMI and physical activity level with blood pressure grade among hypertensive patients at Karya Wanita Primary Health Center, Pekanbaru, Indonesia. This cross-sectional analytic study involved 48 hypertensive patients selected using accidental sampling. BMI was assessed through anthropometric measurements, while physical activity was evaluated using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Blood pressure grade was classified into Stage 1 and Stage 2 hypertension based on JNC-7 criteria. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Most respondents were female (68.8%), aged over 65 years (39.6%), obese (54.2%), had low physical activity levels (47.9%), and were classified as having Stage 2 hypertension (58.3%). Spearman’s correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between BMI and blood pressure grade (r = 0.354; p = 0.014), indicating that higher BMI was associated with higher hypertension grade. Physical activity level showed a significant negative correlation with blood pressure grade (r = -0.324; p = 0.025), suggesting that lower physical activity was associated with higher blood pressure grade. These findings indicate that higher BMI and lower physical activity levels were significantly associated with higher blood pressure grade among hypertensive patients in this primary healthcare population. However, due to the cross-sectional design and bivariate analysis, causal interpretation should be avoided. Further studies with larger samples and adjustment for potential confounding factors are needed to strengthen these findings.