Abstract Body: Introduction: Approximately 43% of US women have hypertension, which can cause serious health conditions (e.g., stroke, heart attack). Previous research has shown that muscle-strengthening physical activity (e.g., resistance training, weightlifting) improves blood pressure outcomes in the general US population. However, limited research has examined this association among women.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that women meeting the muscle-strengthening activity guideline would be less likely to report hypertension, and that this association would vary by race/ethnicity.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the 2012-2018 National Health Interview Survey on female participants ≥18 years of age (n=111,801). Hypertension was assessed based on whether participants were told by a doctor that they had hypertension (yes vs no). Muscle-strengthening physical activity was categorized as: 1) meeting the guideline (muscle-strengthening activity ≥ 2 times per week), and 2) not meeting the guideline (muscle-strengthening activity less than twice a week/never/unable). Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between meeting the muscle-strengthening activity guideline and hypertension. Models were adjusted for age, education, race/ethnicity, and health insurance status. We also tested whether the association varied by race/ethnicity and stratified models accordingly.

Results: In adjusted models, compared with women that did not meet the muscle-strengthening activity guideline, those that met the guideline were significantly less likely to report having hypertension (Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.66, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.63-0.69). In models stratified by race/ethnicity, non-Hispanic White women, Hispanic women, and non-Hispanic Black women that met the muscle-strengthening activity guideline were significantly less likely to report having hypertension (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.60-0.67; OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.57-0.78; OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.72-0.93, respectively).

Conclusions: Engaging in the recommended amount of muscle-strengthening physical activity may help reduce the risk of hypertension among women. Findings highlight the ongoing importance of health promotion programs aimed at increasing muscle-strengthening physical activity to help reduce hypertension risk in women.