The prevalence of arterial hypertension depending on selected demographic factors among adult residents of eastern Poland district

Abstract

Background. Identification and analysis of risk factors are important aspects of planning the long-term actions to prevent, early diagnose and properly treat hypertension. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of hypertension and to determine the relationship between the prevalence of hypertension and selected sociodemographic factors among adult residents of a typical eastern Poland district. Material and methods. The study involved 1225 residents of the Janów Lubelski district aged between 36 and 65 years. The research methodology included a questionnaire survey. Blood pressure, body weight and height were measured, the BMI was calculated. Statistical analysis was performed. Results. 26.8% of subjects are treated for hypertension. 32.9% of hypertensive subjects are treated properly and women have better control of hypertension than man (41.3% vs. 19.7%). Among subjects without treatment for hypertension, 37.5% of them have abnormally high blood pressure and it is more common in men (58.9% vs. 43.4%). The prevalence of hypertension increased with age. The percentages are from 8.6% for subjects aged 36-40 to 45.7% for subjects aged 61-65. Higher prevalence of hypertension is observed in men below the age of 50 compared to women. There is the significant rising prevalence of hypertension in women above the age of 50. The relationship between the prevalence of hypertension and the educational background is demonstrated. Among subjects with elementary education, the prevalence of hypertension is higher (45.5%) as compared to subjects with higher education (18.2%). Area of residence and marital status have no effects on the prevalence of hypertension. Conclusions. The prevalence of hypertension was lower compared to other epidemiological studies. Improvements in hypertension control have been observed for many years. The educational background has an important influence on the prevalence of hypertension. Further studies are required to establish the influence of an area of residence and marital status on the prevalence of hypertension.