Аңдатпа
Objective: Arterial hypertension is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, contributing to high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The prevalence of AH varies depending on sex, age, body mass index, lifestyle, and sociodemographic characteristics. One potential modifying factor is ethnic background, which reflects differences in lifestyle, diet, cultural habits, and hereditary predispositions. In Kazakhstan, a multiethnic country, assessing ethnic differences in the prevalence of AH is of particular interest and may support more effective prevention and screening strategies. Objective: To evaluate the association between ethnic background and the prevalence of arterial hypertension in the adult population of Kazakhstan. Design and method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 2844 respondents aged 18 to 91 years. A structured MMM questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, risk factors, ethnicity, medical history, treatment adherence, and blood pressure measurements. The ethnic distribution was as follows: Kazakhs — 72.4% (n=2058), Slavs — 20.5% (n=584), Uyghurs — 2.5% (n=71), Caucasians — 1.9% (n=55), and other groups — less than 1% each. The association between ethnicity and arterial hypertension was assessed using the X2 test and logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index. Results: Kazakhs accounted for 72.4% of the sample, Slavs for 20.5%, and all other ethnic groups combined for less than 5%. Slavs demonstrated a higher prevalence of arterial hypertension compared with Kazakhs, whereas no statistically significant differences in hypertension rates were observed in smaller ethnic subgroups. Conclusions: This study demonstrated an association between ethnic background and the prevalence of arterial hypertension in the adult population. The Slavic ethnic group showed a higher prevalence of hypertension compared with Kazakhs, while no significant differences were observed among smaller ethnic subgroups. These findings highlight the importance of considering ethnocultural factors when planning preventive strategies and developing cardiovascular risk-reduction programs in a multiethnic population.