PAN AFRICAN JOURNAL OF LIFE SCIENCES
e-ISSN: 2672-5924
Volume 9, No. 1, April 2025
Pages 376-384
DOI: 10.36108/pajols/5202/90.0101
Fruits and Vegetable Intake Associated with Hypertension Among Adults Residing in Poor Versus Good Hous-ing Quality: A Cross-Sectional Study in Osogbo, Nigeria
Amos A. Ajayi1, Oluwapelumi P. Arinola2, Temilade Bello2, Johnson O. Ogundare3, Bakoshi E. Isreal4, Ezinne S. Melikam5, Callistus A. Akinleye2, Akinkunmi P. Okekunle6, Adekunle G. Fakunle2,7.
1Department of Family Medicine, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
2Department of Public Health, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
3Department of Nursing & Health Sciences, Aspen University, Phoenix, AZ 85040, USA
4Federal Polytechnic Kaduna, Kaduna, Nigeria
5Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Behavioural, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, USA
6Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
7Discipline of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 321 George Campbell Building How-ard College Campus, Durban 4041, South Africa
Abstract
Background: Despite existing literature on the link between fruit and vegetable consumption and hypertension, the role of the quality of housing in this interaction has not been extensively explored. This study attempted to understand the contribution of housing in the associa-tion between fruit and vegetable consumption and hypertension among adults in Osogbo. Nigeria.
Methods: A housing standard checklist comprising a list of essential housing facilities was used to assess 700 houses of adults aged ≥ 18 years in Osogbo, Nigeria, who were recruited using a multi-stage sampling. The housing quality index (HQI) was calculated and used to dichotomize the houses into “poor” and “good” housing quality (HQ). Hypertension was defined based on the guidelines set by the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) while total fruit and vegetable consumption (in servings/week) was classified as ‘low’ (≤6), ‘moderate’ (7-14), and ‘high’ (≥15). Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confi-dence intervals (CIs) of the association between fruits and vegetable consumption and hypertension stratified by HQ were estimated using multivariable-adjusted regression models at P<0.05.
Results: The prevalence of low fruit and vegetable consumption was higher among adults residing in poor HQ; 212/440 (48.2%) than those living in good HQ; 74/260 (28.5%), p<0.001. A significant inverse association was observed between high total fruit and vegetable con-sumption and risk of hypertension (aOR 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01-0.09). The reduced odds of hypertension due to the consumption of medium (aOR 0.35; 95% CI: 0.12-0.76) and high (aOR 0.12; 95% CI: 0.03-0.40) servings of total fruits and vegetables per week was more pro-nounced among adults residing in good HQ compared to those living in poor HQ.
Conclusion: Good HQ improves the beneficial effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on the risk of hypertension.
Keywords: Fruits; Vegetables; Hypertension; Housing quality; Osogbo; Nigeria