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Introduction: Area level factors could be an independent risk factor for disease and negative health outcomes. Despite the multiple studies on risk factors for hypertension, area-level influence is poorly investigated especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Hypothesis: This study aims to test the hypothesis that area-level deprivation (AD) is significantly associated with the risk of hypertension independent of individual risk factors in the context of Nepal.

Methods: The study is based on the latest Nepal Demographic Health Survey conducted in 2016. The area-level deprivation index was constructed and validated based on the material (household assets, household structure), social and geospatial features. The index ranged from 52 to 146 with higher scores representing higher levels of deprivation. Individuals aged 15 and above were identified as hypertensive if they met any of the following criteria: i) systolic …