Despite limitations, this study uniquely combines gendered practices, hypertension, and important control measures in a
national sample and extends knowledge concerning the social determinants of gender differences in an important and growing
chronic condition. It raises important questions and suggests a variety of implications, especially for the study of chronic
conditions in countries with intractable gender inequalities. Interventions to improve the disease burden of chronic conditions
in the population often focus on diet, substance use, physical activity, and health care. This study adds the examination
of the role of two widespread gendered elements salient in many contexts: women’s seclusion and decision-making power.
Future research should study how these gendered practices and related mechanisms influence various health outcomes in
other lower-income countries, both as they operate within households and in other settings such as schools and
neighborhoods.