The relationship between hypertension incidence and quality of life of the elderly in Bagi Village, Madiun District, Madiun Regency, Indonesia

Introduction: The prevalence of hypertension in Bagi Village, Madiun District, East Java, Indonesia, exceeds the national average (48.4%). Hypertension can reduce the quality of life of sufferers, and as many as 40% of the village population has a low quality of life. What is the relationship between the incidence of hypertension and its quality of life? The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the incidence of hypertension and its impact on quality of life. 

Methods: A total of 37 elderly people aged 60-74 years participated in this cross-sectional study (total sample). They resided in RW 5, Bagi Village. They had their blood pressure measured directly with a digital sphygmomanometer and were interviewed using the EUROQOL-5-Dimensions-5-Levels questionnaire to determine their quality of life. A Fisher's Exact Test was conducted to determine the relationship between the two with a significance level of 0.05.

Results: The majority (68%) of those with hypertension were women, had a low level of education (56%), and were employed (68%). The same situation applies to those with a good quality of life. Descriptively, 50% of those with a high school education have a poor quality of life. Hypertension is not associated with quality of life (p=0.450).

Conclusion: The risk factors for hypertension were age and gender, which were not associated with quality of life. Psychosocial well-being and adaptive resilience played a greater role than education or employment. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and controlling blood pressure can maintain the quality of life for sufferers.