*2.4. Data Analysis*

Data analysis was completed using SPSS version 24, and the final analysis included 414 participants. Socio-demographic variables were analyzed by descriptive analysis, and they included age (completed years), sex (male or female), ethnicity (Shan or Myanmar), marital status (single or married), and years of stay in Thailand. Educational status was categorized into three groups: no formal education, primary school completed, and completed secondary school and above. Type of jobs included no current employment; cleaning/household jobs; and construction, agriculture, or factory work.

According to WHO guidelines, BMI was categorized into three groups: Normal: BMI 18.5–24.9, Overweight: BMI 25–29.9, and Obese: BMI ≥ 30 [13].

Central obesity was determined by using WHO cutoff points for sex-specific waist/hip ratio. Participants with a waist/hip ratio ≥ 0.9 in males and ≥ 0.85 in females were regarded as having central obesity [14].

Exercise activity was grouped as "No exercise" for the study participants who never exercised or who had less than 150 min of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week and "Exercise" for those who had at least 150 min of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 min of high-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, following the WHO guidelines [15].

Blood pressure measurements were initially categorized into three groups: normotension: systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 120 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 80 mmHg, pre-hypertension: SBP between 120–139 mmHg and/or DBP 81–89 mmHg, and hypertension: SBP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg, in accordance with hypertension screening in Thailand [16]. Thereafter, a dichotomous scale of "having hypertension" (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg) or "no hypertension" (SBP < 140 mmHg or DBP < 90 mmHg) was recorded, and it was analyzed to be a dependent variable.

The basic statistical association between "having hypertension" and potential independent risk factors were initially evaluated by Chi-square tests. Variables with *p* values less than 0.7 were entered in the multivariable regression analysis to identify factors associated with "having hypertension". Adjusted odds ratios (adjOR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) and *p* value ≤ 0.05 were considered to be significant associated factors.

#### **3. Results**

### *3.1. Characteristics of the Study Participants*

The final analysis consisted of 414 participants, and their mean age was 29.45 ± 9.03 years. Male participants made up 55.8%, with females comprising 44.2%; 70.0% were married persons, and 49.0% did not have any formal school education, shown in Table 1.

**Table 1.** Characteristics of the study participants (*n* = 414).



**Table 1.** *Cont.*

Regarding associated NCDs, about 4.3% of study participants had never checked their diabetes status, and 1.0% had history of diabetes. Metabolic determinants of hypertension, such as the BMI and waist/hip ratio, along with behavioral determinants, such as current smoking, current alcohol drinking, and exercise habits, were assessed. About 15.2% of the participants exercised regularly; current smokers made up 26.3%; 40.8% had current alcohol-drinking habits; 68.1% did not have enough sleeping hours at night (less than 8 h); and more than 20% were overweight (16.4%)/obese (4.3%) (abnormal BMI), and 25% of participants had central obesity (raised sex-specific waist/hip ratio) (Table 1)
