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Hypertension prevalence and care in an urban and rural area of Tanzania

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Nigel Unwin, Dr David Whiting, Dr Terry AsprayORCiD, Emeritus Professor Sir George Sir George Alberti

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Abstract

Objective. To describe the prevalence, detection, treatment and control of hypertension in an urban and rural area of Tanzania. Design. Two linked cross-sectional population-based surveys. Setting. A middle-income urban district of Dar es Salaam (Ilala) and a village in the relatively prosperous rural area of Kilimanjaro (Shari). Participants. Seven hundred and seventy adults (> 15 years) in Ilala and 928 adults in Shari were studied. Results. Hypertension prevalence (blood pressure ≥ 140 and/or 90 mmHg, or known hypertensives receiving anti-hypertensive treatment) was 30% (95% confidence interval, 25.1-34.9%) in men and 28.6% (24.3-32.9%) in women in Ilala, and 32.2% (27.7-36.7%) in men and 31.5% (27.8-35.2%) in women in Shari. Age-standardized hypertension (to the New World Population) prevalence was 37.3% (32.2-42.5%) among men and 39.1% (34.2-44.0%) in women in Illala, and 26.3% (22.4-30.4%) in men and 27.4% (24.4-30.4%) in women in Shari. In both areas, just under 20% of hypertensive subjects were aware of their diagnosis, approximately 10% reported receiving treatment and less than 1% were controlled (blood pressure < 140/90 mmHg). Hypertensive subjects were older, had greater body mass indices and waist:hip ratios, and had more risk factors for hypertension and its complications (smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, obesity and diabetes) than non-hypertensives. Conclusions. There is a high prevalence of hypertension in rural and urban areas of Tanzania, with low levels of detection, treatment and control. This demonstrates the need for cost-effective strategies for primary prevention, detection and treatment of hypertension and the growing public health challenge of non-communicable diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. (C) Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Edwards R, Unwin N, Mugusi F, Whiting D, Rashid S, Kissima J, Aspray TJ, Alberti KGMM

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Hypertension

Year: 2000

Volume: 18

Issue: 2

Pages: 145-152

Print publication date: 01/01/2000

ISSN (print): 0263-6352

ISSN (electronic): 1473-5598

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004872-200018020-00003

DOI: 10.1097/00004872-200018020-00003

PubMed id: 10694181


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