ABSTRACT

 The aim of the study was to assess obesity and blood pressure among adults in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia state. A cross-sectional design was used to select 429 respondents involved in the study. A validated structured questionnaire was used to collect information on social demographic characteristics of the respondents, while the anthropometric measurement of the respondents were taken using standard equipment and procedures. Sphygmomanometer was used to determine the blood pressure of the respondents. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Packages for Service Software (SPSS) version 23.0 to analyze descriptive percentage, mean and standard deviation, cross tab and correlation. The results showed that out of 429 respondents, 52.9% and 47.1% were males and females, respectively. More than half (59.9%) of the respondents had normal blood pressure, while 8.4% and 3.0% had stage I and stage 2 hypertension. The result showed that more than half (56.4%) had a normal weight, while 23.1% and 16.5% were overweight and obese (type I, type II and extreme) based on the BMI classification. The result of correlation in this study showed that there was a significant relationship between obesity and blood pressure (r = 0.214; Pvalue = 0.000). Regular medical examination should be encouraged to reduce their risk of premature death due to high blood pressure which is influenced by excessive fat in the body.