Background:  Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are considered the major non-communicable diseases that are contributing to significant morbidity & mortality. In India, Hypertension is considered a leading cause for premature deaths, the burden of which is gradually progressing in the rural community. Gradual shift among life style factors like altered diet, diminished physical activity, disturbed sleep from urban to rural communities has contributed significantly to increased burden of hypertension in the rural population.

Aim: 1.To assess the association between life style factors and stress levels in causing hypertension among adults of the rural community.

Material & Methods: This is a cross sectional study done among one hundred and fifty adults aged 18 years and above diagnosed with blood pressure above 130/90 mm Hg. Stress levels were measured by using a stress scale . Self structured pre-validated questionnaire was used to assess the life style factors. . Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the sample characteristics and statistical tests like chi-square and logistic regression analysis were used to identify the independent predictors of hypertension.

Results:  The mean age of the study participants is 41.2+ 12.6 years. The prevalence of hypertension in the study was found to be 38.6%. A strong association was found between high blood pressure and various factors such as high stress level, having slept less than 6 hours, those who exercise rarely, who consume high coffee and spend more than 7 hours as screen time.

Conclusion:  In this study, it was found that prevalence of hypertension is gradually increased among people residing in rural areas. Unhealthy life style factors like improper diet, physical inactivity, inadequate sleep and high stress levels play a significant role in causing hypertension among people from rural areas.