Abstract: TH-PO698
Younger Age, Asian Ethnicity, and Better Self-Rated Health Are Associated with Unawareness of Hypertension in Community Population
Session Information
- Hypertension and CVD: Epidemiology, Risk Factors
November 07, 2019 | Location: Exhibit Hall, Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Category: Hypertension and CVD
- 1401 Hypertension and CVD: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Prevention
Authors
- Jiang, Ming yan, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
- Zhuo, Min, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Song, Rui, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Li, Jiahua, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Polding, Laura C., Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States
- Hsiao, Li-Li, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Group or Team Name
- Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (KDSAP) research team
Background
Hypertension (HTN) is a major risk factor for chronic kidney disease and its related cardiovascular (CV) complications. It is projected to affect 1.56 billion individuals worldwide by 2025. However, the awareness of HTN remains low; nearly 16% of U.S. adults are unaware of their HTN status. This study aims to explore factors associated with unawareness of HTN in community level.
Methods
Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (KDSAP) provides free screenings and education targeting underserved communities across U.S. and Canada, aiming to early detect and raise awareness of kidney disease. From October 2011 to May 2018, a total of 1,040 KDSAP participants with HTN were enrolled in this study. HTN was defined by self-report being diagnosed with or treated for the disease or high blood pressure during screening with systolic ≥ 140 or diastolic ≥ 90 mmHg. Awareness was defined by self-report.
Results
More than one third (n=374, 36%) of participants were unaware of having HTN; they were younger (57 vs. 66 years old, p<0.001) and higher in proportion of men (51.3% vs. 41.1%, p=0.002). The awareness is positively correlated with increasing age, < 40 (36.9%), 40~59 (56.1%) and ≥ 60 years old (73.0%) (p<0.001), with adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.02 for every 1-year age increment (p<0.001). While no difference in awareness rates among ethnicities: Asian 64.1%, African American 64.2%, White 60.7% and Hispanic 66.3%; Asians were found to be associated with lower awareness compared with African Americans (OR 1.58, p<0.05) and Hispanic (OR 1.89, p<0.05) after adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, education level, and self-reported diabetes, hyperlipidemia and CV disease. Interestingly, individuals who rated their health as “very good” or “excellent” were 70% less likely to be aware of having HTN compared to those who self-rated with “poor” or “fair” health (age- and gender-adjusted OR 0.30, p<0.001).
Conclusion
Our results showed a high unawareness of HTN among the KDSAP participants. Younger age and Asian ethnicity were associated with higher unawareness. In addition, self-rated health was inversely correlated with HTN awareness. Our results provide insights in developing effective venues to raise HTN awareness at the community level.
Funding
- Private Foundation Support