OBJECTIVES: We examined the prevalence of actions taken to control blood pressure as measured by taking antihypertensive medication or making lifestyle modifications among hypertensive adults residing along the Texas/Mexico border. METHODS: We used self-reported data from the 2007 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, with oversampling of border counties. We calculated the age-standardized prevalence of actions taken to control hypertension by selected characteristics. RESULTS: In analyses that combined ethnicity with predominant language spoken, those least likely to take any action to control their blood pressure--either by taking an antihypertensive medication or by making any of four lifestyle modifications--were Spanish-speaking Hispanic people (83.2% ± 2.7% standard error [SE]), with English-speaking non-Hispanic people (88.9% ± 0.8% SE) having the highest prevalence of taking action to control blood pressure. When analyzed by type of medical category, uninsured Hispanic people (63.8% ± 4.8% SE) had the lowest prevalence of taking action to control their blood pressure compared with uninsured non-Hispanic people (75.4% ± 4.7% SE). Nonborder Texas residents with hypertension were more likely to take antihypertensive medications (78.4% ± 1.0% SE) than border county residents with hypertension (70.7% ± 2.0% SE). CONCLUSIONS: Public health efforts must be undertaken to improve the control of hypertension among residents of Texas counties along the Mexico border, particularly for uninsured Hispanic people.
OBJECTIVES: We examined the prevalence of actions taken to control blood pressure as measured by taking antihypertensive medication or making lifestyle modifications among hypertensive adults residing along the Texas/Mexico border. METHODS: We used self-reported data from the 2007 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, with oversampling of border counties. We calculated the age-standardized prevalence of actions taken to control hypertension by selected characteristics. RESULTS: In analyses that combined ethnicity with predominant language spoken, those least likely to take any action to control their blood pressure--either by taking an antihypertensive medication or by making any of four lifestyle modifications--were Spanish-speaking Hispanic people (83.2% ± 2.7% standard error [SE]), with English-speaking non-Hispanic people (88.9% ± 0.8% SE) having the highest prevalence of taking action to control blood pressure. When analyzed by type of medical category, uninsured Hispanic people (63.8% ± 4.8% SE) had the lowest prevalence of taking action to control their blood pressure compared with uninsured non-Hispanic people (75.4% ± 4.7% SE). Nonborder Texas residents with hypertension were more likely to take antihypertensive medications (78.4% ± 1.0% SE) than border county residents with hypertension (70.7% ± 2.0% SE). CONCLUSIONS: Public health efforts must be undertaken to improve the control of hypertension among residents of Texas counties along the Mexico border, particularly for uninsured Hispanic people.
Authors: Héctor G Balcázar; Hendrik de Heer; Lee Rosenthal; Melissa Aguirre; Leticia Flores; Flor A Puentes; Victor M Cardenas; Maria O Duarte; Melchor Ortiz; Leslie O Schulz Journal: Prev Chronic Dis Date: 2010-02-15 Impact factor: 2.830