Objective Nurses face various occupational stressors that are associated with an increased risk of hypertension. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among nurses in private and public tertiary hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between July to August 2023, among nurses from one private and one public tertiary hospital. All eligible nurses from the private hospital were recruited, while stratified random sampling was used to recruit nurses at the public hospital. Data were collected using questionnaires and physical measurements (blood pressure, weight, and height). Hypertension was defined as a blood pressure ≥130/80 mmHg, a self-reported history of hypertension, or current use of antihypertensive medication. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants’ characteristics, and logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors independently associated with hypertension.

Results Among 360 nurses [median (IQR) age 29 (27 – 31) years, 57.5% female, 60% <35 years], 28.9% were hypertensive. After adjusting for age, sex, and high cholesterol, several factors were independently associated with hypertension. Nurses aged over 55 years had significantly higher odds of hypertension (AOR 9.20; 95% CI: 5.90–14.56). Higher educational attainment (AOR 5.20; 95% CI: 2.49–11.01), being unmarried (AOR 1.91; 95% CI: 1.09–3.36), physical inactivity (AOR 3.23; 95% CI: 2.39–15.60), overweight (AOR 2.73; 95% CI: 1.29–3.75), obesity (AOR 3.30; 95% CI: 3.13–13.05), poor dietary practices (AOR 2.73; 95% CI: 1.29–13.75), and short sleep duration (≤5 hours) (AOR 4.20; 95% CI: 1.06–7.73) were significantly associated with hypertension. Work-related stress (AOR 2.86; 95% CI: 1.06–7.73) and attending to more than 15 patients per day (AOR 3.67; 95% CI: 1.32–5.40) were also associated with increased risk.

Conclusion The study revealed a significant prevalence of hypertension among nurses linked to behavior and work-related factors. Interventions promoting healthier diets, physical activity, and stress management in the workplace are recommended to safeguard nurses’ health, which is essential for healthcare delivery.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

N\A

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The study was conducted without financial support from any external organization. The authors have no financial relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this manuscript. Additionally, the authors are aware that their country is exempt from the PLOS Global Public Health publication fee, and no financial assistance was required or provided for the publication process.

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Not Applicable

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

Ethical approval was requested from the MUHAS Institution Review Board and approved (Ref.No DA. 282/298/01.C/1817. Before giving their written consent, nurses who have been chosen for the study got sufficient information about the study's goals and their right to revoke at any time. Candidates' names and any other identifying information was not included in the data collected and published, and the information to be received from participants was kept confidential.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

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I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

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I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

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All relevant data are fully contained within the manuscript. No additional datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.