Changes in Prevalence and Determinants of Self-Reported Hypertension among Bangladeshi Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the changes in the prevalence and determinants of self-reported hypertension among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. This repeated cross-sectional study was conducted on two successive occasions (October 2020 and September 2021), overlapping the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. The survey was conducted through telephone interviews among Bangladeshi older adults aged 60 years and above. The prevalence of hypertension was measured by asking a question about whether a doctor or health professional told the participants that they have hypertension or high blood pressure and/or whether they are currently using medication to control it. We also collected information on the socio-economic characteristics of the participants, their cognitive ability, and their COVID-19-related attributes. A total of 2077 older adults with a mean age of 66.7 ± 6.4 years participated in the study. The samples were randomly selected on two successive occasions from a pre-established registry developed by the ARCED Foundation. Thus, the sample in the 2021-survey (round two; n = 1045) was not the same as that in the 2020-survey (round one; n = 1031) but both were drawn from the same population. The findings revealed that the prevalence of hypertension significantly increased across the two periods (43.7% versus 56.3%; p = 0.006). The odds of hypertension were 1.34 times more likely in round two than in the round one cohort (AOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.06–1.70). We also found that having formal schooling, poorer memory or concentration, and having had received COVID-19 information were all associated with an increased risk of hypertension in both rounds (p < 0.05). The findings of the present study suggest providing immediate support to ensure proper screening, control, and treatment of hypertension among older adults in Bangladesh.

Determinants of self-reported chronic disease diagnoses among older persons in South Africa

“…These factors have been found to have an association with self-reported chronic condition diagnoses in previous studies. 31,32,33,34 We found that at least 5 in 10 older persons reported being diagnosed with chronic diseases. Persons aged 70 years and older had higher odds of self-reported chronic disease diagnoses.…”

Healthcare Decision-Making in a Crisis: A Qualitative Systemic Review Protocol

“…Other than the negatives from the pandemic response, some positives do emerge. Tese include the improved uptake of virtual healthcare [17], expanded and extended scope of health professional practice [18][19][20][21], appropriate planning and resourcing of essential services [22,23], the importance of engaging with consumers, and appropriate culturally and linguistical public health approaches to underserviced communities [24][25][26][27][28]. Troughout the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid systematic reviews were conducted to synthesize evidence to inform the decision-making by public leaders.…”