THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND THE INCIDENCE OF HYPERTENSION AMONG THE ELDERLY IN THE WORKING AREA OF KALIJAGA PERMAI PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER, CIREBON CITY

Hypertension is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases and
serves as a major risk factor for several serious complications, such as heart
disease, stroke, and kidney failure. The elderly are a particularly vulnerable group
to hypertension due to the physiological decline associated with aging. Regular
physical activity plays an important role in maintaining normal blood pressure.
This study aims to determine the relationship between physical activity and the
incidence of hypertension among the elderly in the working area of Kalijaga
Permai Public Health Center, Cirebon City.
This research employed a quantitative design with a cross-sectional
approach. The population consisted of all elderly individuals aged 60–69 years
within the Kalijaga Permai Public Health Center area, with a total sample of 95
respondents drawn from a population of 1,672 elderly. The instruments used were
the PASE (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly) questionnaire and blood pressure
measurement using a sphygmomanometer. Data analysis was performed using the
chi-square test with a significance level of α = 0.05. Ethical clearance was granted
and declared "Ethically Feasible" by the Ethics Committee of ITEKes Mahardika.

The data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analysis with the chi-
square test. The results showed that 58 elderly respondents (61.1%) had poor

physical activity, and 60 respondents (63.2%) were found to have hypertension.
Bivariate analysis indicated a significant relationship between physical activity and
the incidence of hypertension among the elderly, with a p-value of 0.003, meaning
the p-value was less than 0.05. It is concluded that low levels of physical activity
may be associated with an increased risk of hypertension among the elderly;
therefore, efforts to improve quality of life and prevent non-communicable diseases
in older age groups are necessary.