Relationship between life-course alcohol drinking and hypertension among rural adult residents in Shandong province,China

Objective To explore the association of life-course alcohol drinking with the prevalence of self-reported hypertension among rural adult residents and to provide evidences for hypertension prevention.Methods All together 7370 rural residents aged 15 years or older were recruited from 5 towns in Shandong province in July 2011 by stratified cluster sampling.We used a life-course alcohol consumption scale to collect information on alcohol drinking in the duration from the age of 15 years to the time of the survey through a face-to-face interview among the participants.Results The overall prevalence rate of hypertension in the participants was 14.91%,with a significant higher prevalence rate among the females than the males(15.71%vs.13.62%;χ²=5.987,P<0.05)and the prevalence rate increased with age among both the male and female participants(P<0.01).The overall alcohol drinking rate was 19.63%;the alcohol drinking rate of the males was significantly higher than that of the females(46.83%vs.2.79%;χ²=2139.17,P<0.001);and the drinking rate was significantly correlated with the increment of age in both the male and female participants(P<0.001).The alcohol drinkers reported a higher prevalence rate of hypertension than the non-drinkers(17.07%vs.14.38%;χ²=6.608,P=0.010).The prevalence rate of hypertension was positively correlated with the initial age of alcohol drinking and the average daily alcohol intake(both P<0.01).Compared to the non-drinkers and other drinkers,the participants drinking beer,drinking alcohol 1-4 times per month,and with alcohol drinking history of 5-14 years had a significantly lower hypertension prevalence rate(all P<0.01).Conclusion Alcohol drinkers have a higher prevalence of hypertension than non-drinkers and the initial age,duration,frequency,type of beverage,and average daily alcohol intake of alcohol drinks are all associated with the prevalence of hypertension among rural adults in Shandong province.