Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: March | Volume: 11 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 51-60
A Hierarchical Model to Study the Factors Associated with Hypertension: A Population-Based Study in Brazilian Elderly
Lydia Katharina Guedes Gama Santos1, Sandra Rêgo de Jesus2
1Medical student and Scientific Initiation Scholar, Multidisciplinary Health Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil.
2Associeted Professor, Multidisciplinary Health Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil.
Corresponding Author: Lydia Katharina Guedes Gama Santos
ABSTRACT
Systemic arterial hypertension is one of the most widespread pathologies in the world and the main risk factor for cardiovascular diseases; it has been pointed out as one of the main causes of death and disability among the elderly. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with self-reported arterial hypertension in the elderly living in the north-eastern Brazil. This was a population-based cross-sectional study with a sample of 6,793 older adults (≥ 60 years of age) living in the capitals of the north-eastern Brazil. The explanatory variables were grouped according to a hierarchical conceptual model defined previously to assist in the description of self-referred hypertension. Poisson regression was used, and the prevalence ratios with their respective 95% confidence intervals were estimated. The prevalence of self-reported hypertension was 57.92% (95% CI: 57.84 – 58.01). The factors that increased the prevalence by more than 20% were: female gender (PR=1.22; 95%CI: 1.13 - 1.33), black skin color (PR=1.27; 95%CI: 1.16 - 1.40), age 75 or older (PR=1.21; 95% CI: 1.10 - 1.32), overweight (PR=1.40; 95% CI: 1.25 - 1.56) and diabetes diagnosis (PR=1.33; 95% CI: 1.25 - 1.42). Married elderly, with low schooling and those who evaluated the health status as poor also significantly increased the prevalence of self-reported hypertension. The high prevalence of hypertension among the elderly and the associated factors identified in this study are of fundamental importance to assist in the development of preventive programs and in the formulation of public policies to address them.
Key words: Hypertension; health of the elderly; epidemiological surveys.