BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to identify factors associated with unawareness of hypertension among Mexican Americans age 65 years and older. METHODS: This was a population-based survey of 3,050 older Mexican Americans conducted in five Southwestern states in 1993-1994. An in-home interview included sociodemographics, review of medications, and blood pressure measurements. RESULTS: Sixty percent of all subjects were hypertensive, and 37% of these were unaware of their diagnosis. Unaware hypertensive had significantly higher mean blood pressures than did aware hypertensives (145.7/ 86.2 mm Hg vs 142.4/83.1 mm Hg). While 77% of aware hypertensives were treated, only 10% of unaware hypertensives were treated. In multivariate analyses, factors associated with unawareness included male gender (OR = 1.8), being married (OR = 1.6), having Medicaid (OR = 1.6), having made fewer than two visits to a doctor in the past year (OR = 2.8), having a history of heart disease (OR = 0.57) or stroke (OR = 0.37), and having poor self-reported health (OR = 0.43). CONCLUSION: Despite 3 decades of hypertension detection and education programs, unawareness of hypertension remains high among older Mexican Americans. There is a continued need for community-based education programs for hypertensives who are unaware of their diagnosis, and also there is need for programs to increase access to primary care physicians.
BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to identify factors associated with unawareness of hypertension among Mexican Americans age 65 years and older. METHODS: This was a population-based survey of 3,050 older Mexican Americans conducted in five Southwestern states in 1993-1994. An in-home interview included sociodemographics, review of medications, and blood pressure measurements. RESULTS: Sixty percent of all subjects were hypertensive, and 37% of these were unaware of their diagnosis. Unaware hypertensive had significantly higher mean blood pressures than did aware hypertensives (145.7/ 86.2 mm Hg vs 142.4/83.1 mm Hg). While 77% of aware hypertensives were treated, only 10% of unaware hypertensives were treated. In multivariate analyses, factors associated with unawareness included male gender (OR = 1.8), being married (OR = 1.6), having Medicaid (OR = 1.6), having made fewer than two visits to a doctor in the past year (OR = 2.8), having a history of heart disease (OR = 0.57) or stroke (OR = 0.37), and having poor self-reported health (OR = 0.43). CONCLUSION: Despite 3 decades of hypertension detection and education programs, unawareness of hypertension remains high among older Mexican Americans. There is a continued need for community-based education programs for hypertensives who are unaware of their diagnosis, and also there is need for programs to increase access to primary care physicians.
Authors: Majd AlGhatrif; Majd Al Ghatrif; Yong-Fang Kuo; Soham Al Snih; Mukaila A Raji; Laura A Ray; Kyriakos S Markides Journal: Ann Epidemiol Date: 2010-08-21 Impact factor: 3.797
Authors: Sophie de Boer; Felix Klewitz; Maximilian Bauer-Hohmann; Lena Schiffer; Uwe Tegtbur; Lars Pape; Mario Schiffer; Martina de Zwaan; Mariel Nöhre Journal: Patient Prefer Adherence Date: 2020-09-25 Impact factor: 2.711
Authors: Ronica N Rooks; Eleanor M Simonsick; Lisa M Klesges; Anne B Newman; Hilsa N Ayonayon; Tamara B Harris Journal: J Aging Health Date: 2008-07-14
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