Assessing hypertension care quality in Brazil: gender, race, and socioeconomic intersection in public and private services, 2013 and 2019 national health surveys

Abstract

We conducted a cross-sectional study of hypertension care in public and private services, analyzing gender, color, and socioeconomic status. Using data from the 2013 (n = 60,202) and 2019 (n = 90,846) national health surveys, hypertension prevalence increased from 21.4 to 23.9%. Quality of care declined from 41.7 to 35.4%, particularly in public services, disproportionately affecting low-income Black women. Poisson regression estimated prevalence ratios (PRs), with the lowest adjusted PR for high-quality care among low-income Black women. These findings highlight persistent health inequalities and the urgent need for intersectoral policies to promote health equity.