Objective: In this study we will identify predictive risk factors for hypertension in among Indonesian women. This study investigates factors associated with conversion to hypertension among women in ten years period spanning from 1997 to 2007.

Design and Method: We used panel data from three rounds of longitudinal Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS 1997, IFLS 2000 and IFLS 2007) where tracked blood pressure of 6,138 women who in 1997 had normal blood pressure. Using blood pressure measurements and self-reports in 1997 and two subsequent survey rounds, we categorized each woman as either having converted or not converted to having hypertension by 2007. We ran logistic regression using individual and community characteristics from IFLS 1997 to determine which characteristics, observable prior to conversion to hypertension, were predictive of that conversion.

Results: Twenty-nine percent of our sample converted to hypertensive status in that ten years period. Among other results, we found that age and BMI were the most powerful predictors of Indonesian women's ten-year risk of becoming hypertensive.

Conclusions: The longitudinal nature of this analysis provides a strong predictive basis for development of public health interventions especially toward women population.