The “pressure” of being an adolescent in the West Bank, Palestine: prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension
IntroductionOver 27% of adults in Palestine are reported to have hypertension, and there is limited knowledge about hypertension rates among Palestinian adolescents residing in the West Bank, Palestine. Prolonged exposure to forced displacement has adverse impacts on health, including the risk of hy...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1620629/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849230166486679552 |
|---|---|
| author | Dina Hamideh Dina Hamideh Hamzeh Al Zabadi Noe C. Crespo John Alcaraz Mariam Mansour Marcos Real Baseel Hamideh Nargis Ahmadi Lamees Mahmoud David Strong |
| author_facet | Dina Hamideh Dina Hamideh Hamzeh Al Zabadi Noe C. Crespo John Alcaraz Mariam Mansour Marcos Real Baseel Hamideh Nargis Ahmadi Lamees Mahmoud David Strong |
| author_sort | Dina Hamideh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionOver 27% of adults in Palestine are reported to have hypertension, and there is limited knowledge about hypertension rates among Palestinian adolescents residing in the West Bank, Palestine. Prolonged exposure to forced displacement has adverse impacts on health, including the risk of hypertension. This study assessed the relationship between refugee status, prehypertension, and hypertension among Palestinian adolescents residing in the West Bank, Palestine.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among Palestinian adolescents residing in refugee camps, villages, and cities across the West Bank. A random sample of adolescents was recruited from schools from November 2022 to January 2023. Anthropometric measurements, including blood pressure (mmHg), heart rate (BPM), body fat (%), height (cm), and body weight (kg), and survey questionnaires, were collected. Ordinal regression models were used to assess the relationship between refugee status, prehypertension, and hypertension after adjusting for age. In addition, the interaction between refugee status and sex and its relationship to the prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension were examined.ResultsA total of 706 Palestinian adolescents [refugees = 377 (39.4% female individuals and 60.6% male individuals), and non-refugees = 329 (39.9% female individuals and 60.1% male individuals)] aged between 13 and 17 years (median = 14 years) were enrolled. The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension in the sample was 26 and 14%, respectively. The prevalence of prehypertension [refugees = 25.5% vs. non-refugees = 27.0%] and hypertension [refugees = 12.7% vs. non-refugees = 16.0%] was higher among non-refugees. There was no association between refugee status and hypertension categories in either the unadjusted models or models adjusted for age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.88; 95% CI = 0.65–1.20]. The findings from the regression models revealed an association between refugee status, prehypertension, and hypertension among female and male participants. Among female participants, refugees had 1.75 [95%CI = 1.04–2.95] times higher odds of elevated blood pressure than non-refugees, after adjusting for age. In contrast, male refugees had 40% lower odds [AOR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.41–0.88] of elevated blood pressure than their non-refugee counterparts.ConclusionThe prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension was high in this participant sample, highlighting a significant public health concern. Inverse relationships between blood pressure and refugee status were observed across sexes. Future studies should assess the impact of refugee and non-refugee experiences and sex differences on cardiovascular health disparities among Palestinian adolescents. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-794a2d0a85d440d48623902cca2eb315 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-794a2d0a85d440d48623902cca2eb3152025-08-21T10:39:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-08-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.16206291620629The “pressure” of being an adolescent in the West Bank, Palestine: prevalence of prehypertension and hypertensionDina Hamideh0Dina Hamideh1Hamzeh Al Zabadi2Noe C. Crespo3John Alcaraz4Mariam Mansour5Marcos Real6Baseel Hamideh7Nargis Ahmadi8Lamees Mahmoud9David Strong10Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United StatesSchool of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United StatesPublic Health Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, PalestineSchool of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United StatesSchool of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United StatesHerbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United StatesHerbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United StatesHerbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United StatesHerbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United StatesPublic Health Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, PalestineHerbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United StatesIntroductionOver 27% of adults in Palestine are reported to have hypertension, and there is limited knowledge about hypertension rates among Palestinian adolescents residing in the West Bank, Palestine. Prolonged exposure to forced displacement has adverse impacts on health, including the risk of hypertension. This study assessed the relationship between refugee status, prehypertension, and hypertension among Palestinian adolescents residing in the West Bank, Palestine.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among Palestinian adolescents residing in refugee camps, villages, and cities across the West Bank. A random sample of adolescents was recruited from schools from November 2022 to January 2023. Anthropometric measurements, including blood pressure (mmHg), heart rate (BPM), body fat (%), height (cm), and body weight (kg), and survey questionnaires, were collected. Ordinal regression models were used to assess the relationship between refugee status, prehypertension, and hypertension after adjusting for age. In addition, the interaction between refugee status and sex and its relationship to the prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension were examined.ResultsA total of 706 Palestinian adolescents [refugees = 377 (39.4% female individuals and 60.6% male individuals), and non-refugees = 329 (39.9% female individuals and 60.1% male individuals)] aged between 13 and 17 years (median = 14 years) were enrolled. The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension in the sample was 26 and 14%, respectively. The prevalence of prehypertension [refugees = 25.5% vs. non-refugees = 27.0%] and hypertension [refugees = 12.7% vs. non-refugees = 16.0%] was higher among non-refugees. There was no association between refugee status and hypertension categories in either the unadjusted models or models adjusted for age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.88; 95% CI = 0.65–1.20]. The findings from the regression models revealed an association between refugee status, prehypertension, and hypertension among female and male participants. Among female participants, refugees had 1.75 [95%CI = 1.04–2.95] times higher odds of elevated blood pressure than non-refugees, after adjusting for age. In contrast, male refugees had 40% lower odds [AOR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.41–0.88] of elevated blood pressure than their non-refugee counterparts.ConclusionThe prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension was high in this participant sample, highlighting a significant public health concern. Inverse relationships between blood pressure and refugee status were observed across sexes. Future studies should assess the impact of refugee and non-refugee experiences and sex differences on cardiovascular health disparities among Palestinian adolescents.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1620629/fullcardiovascualr diseaseMiddle East North Africa (MENA)Palestinian adolescentssystolic blood pressurerefugee |
| spellingShingle | Dina Hamideh Dina Hamideh Hamzeh Al Zabadi Noe C. Crespo John Alcaraz Mariam Mansour Marcos Real Baseel Hamideh Nargis Ahmadi Lamees Mahmoud David Strong The “pressure” of being an adolescent in the West Bank, Palestine: prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension Frontiers in Public Health cardiovascualr disease Middle East North Africa (MENA) Palestinian adolescents systolic blood pressure refugee |
| title | The “pressure” of being an adolescent in the West Bank, Palestine: prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension |
| title_full | The “pressure” of being an adolescent in the West Bank, Palestine: prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension |
| title_fullStr | The “pressure” of being an adolescent in the West Bank, Palestine: prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension |
| title_full_unstemmed | The “pressure” of being an adolescent in the West Bank, Palestine: prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension |
| title_short | The “pressure” of being an adolescent in the West Bank, Palestine: prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension |
| title_sort | pressure of being an adolescent in the west bank palestine prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension |
| topic | cardiovascualr disease Middle East North Africa (MENA) Palestinian adolescents systolic blood pressure refugee |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1620629/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dinahamideh thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT dinahamideh thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT hamzehalzabadi thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT noeccrespo thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT johnalcaraz thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT mariammansour thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT marcosreal thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT baseelhamideh thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT nargisahmadi thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT lameesmahmoud thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT davidstrong thepressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT dinahamideh pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT dinahamideh pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT hamzehalzabadi pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT noeccrespo pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT johnalcaraz pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT mariammansour pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT marcosreal pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT baseelhamideh pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT nargisahmadi pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT lameesmahmoud pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension AT davidstrong pressureofbeinganadolescentinthewestbankpalestineprevalenceofprehypertensionandhypertension |