Study links emotional violence to high blood pressure in women

Researchers have found a significant link between emotional violence and hypertension among women in Kenya.

Women who experience emotional abuse by their partners are at a significantly higher risk of developing hypertension, a leading cause of cardiovascular disease.

According to the study, published at the start of October, around 30 per cent of Kenyan women experience emotional violence, while 9.37 per cent suffer from hypertension.

The research is based on data from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey covering 5,109 women aged 15 to 49 years.

It investigates the association between emotional violence and hypertension. The study adds to the limited body of research on how intimate partner violence affects women’s cardiovascular health in Kenya.

“We found that women who had experienced emotional violence had a 69 per cent higher risk of hypertension compared to those who had not,” the study notes.

The likelihood remained high after adjusting for age, wealth status, and education level.

The odds of hypertension were 51 per cent greater among women who experienced emotional abuse.

This association underscores the need for healthcare and social policy to take emotional violence into account when addressing public health issues.

Emotional violence, which includes humiliation, threats and insults from a partner, is the most common form. While physical and sexual violence are prevalent, the study highlights that emotional violence has received less attention, despite its severe and lasting consequences.

The authors of the study state that “emotional violence is often overlooked because it does not leave visible scars, but its effects can be as damaging as physical violence.”

Emotional abuse can lead to chronic stress, a risk factor for hypertension. Chronic stress elevates cortisol levels and triggers responses in the nervous system, both of which are closely linked to increased blood pressure.

“Our findings suggest emotional violence should be considered in strategies to prevent hypertension, especially in women,” authors add.

This could involve screening women for experiences of emotional abuse as part of routine hypertension checks, particularly in public hospitals.

The study – Association between experience of emotional violence and hypertension among Kenyan women – is published in Nature’s Scientific Reports journal.

It also delves into how emotional violence might lead to unhealthy coping behaviors which in turn elevate the risk of hypertension.

“Victims of emotional violence may resort to unhealthy habits such as overeating, substance abuse and a sedentary lifestyle,” the report says.

These unhealthy behaviors, coupled with the psychological distress caused by prolonged emotional abuse, can create a vicious cycle that increases susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension.