Clinical, Socioeconomic, and Psychosocial Factors Associated with Blood Pressure Control and Adherence: Results from a Multidisciplinary Cardiovascular National Program Providing Universal Coverage in a Developing Country
Table 1
Demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, and antihypertensive therapy and anthropometric characteristics (n=992).
Participant Characteristics
Total (n= 992)
Men (n=345)
Women (n=647)
p-value
Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics
Age (years)
56.0 (50 - 61)
57.0 (51 - 62)
55.0 (49 - 61)
<0.01
Low education (<8 years of education)
329 (33.2)
103 (29.9)
226 (34.9)
0.11
Low family income (<US$80 per person/month)
228 (23.0)
53 (15.4)
175 (27.0)
<0.001
Psychosocial variables
Inadequate patient –physician relation
202 (23.1)
63 (21.0)
139 (24.2)
0.28
High emotional stress-depression score
258 (26.0)
59 (17.1)
199 (30.8)
<0.001
Low social support
338 (34.1)
88 (25.5)
250 (38.6)
<0.001
Low family Cohesion
366 (36.9)
95 (27.5)
271 (41.9)
<0.001
Self-perception of health (poor-very poor)
177 (17.8)
48 (13.9)
129 (19.9)
0.018
Knowledge about hypertension
542 (54.6)
190 (55.1)
352 (54.4)
0.84
Blood Pressure
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)
132 (123.3 – 143.2)
133 (124.3 – 144.9)
131 (123.0 – 142.7)
0.033
Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)
80 (75.0 – 86.7)
82.0 (76.7 – 80.0)
80.0 (75.0 – 86.5)
0.006
Blood pressure control (BP<140/90 mmHg)
626 (63.1)
199 (57.7)
427 (66.0)
0.010
Baseline Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)
146 (140 -160)
150 (140 – 160)
144 (140 – 160)
0.134
Baseline Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)
91 (90 – 100)
92.0 (90 – 100)
90 (90.9 – 100)
0.270
Time of care in CVHP (years)
7.0 (4.0 – 10.7)
6.3 (3.5 – 8.9)
7.5 (4.3 – 11.4)
<0.001
Clinical variables
Diabetes mellitus (clinical diagnosis)
375 (37.8)
146 (42.3)
229 (35.4)
0.032
Total Cholesterol (mg/dL)
200 (172 – 230)
193.0 (166 – 227)
203 (177 – 232)
0.005
Elevated total cholesterol (≥ 200 mg/dL)
439 (50.8)
138 (45.7)
201 (53.5)
0.031
Antihypertensive treatment variables
Multiple antihypertensive drug therapy (≥ 2 drugs)
463 (46.9)
142 (41.2)
321 (49.6)
0.011
Adherence to pharmacological therapy
381 (38.4)
115 (33.3)
266 (41.1)
0.016
Anthropometrics variables
Weight (Kg)
78.0 (68.4 – 89.7)
84.2 (76.0 – 96.1)
75.0 (66.0 – 84.9)
<0.001
Height (m)
1.57 (1.52 – 1.64)
1.67 (1.63 – 1.71)
1.53 (1.49 – 1.57)
<0.001
Body mass index (Kg/m2)
31.2 (28.0 – 34.9)
30.6 (27.8 – 33.9)
31.5 (28.2 – 35.7)
0.001
Obesity (BMI ≥ 30 Kg/m2)
579 (58.4)
184 (53.3)
395 (61.1)
0.019
Lifestyle habits
Smoking (Current smoker)
253 (25.4)
87 (25.2)
165 (25.5)
0.88
Alcohol related abnormal behavior
136 (13.7)
88 (25.5)
48 (7.4)
<0.001
Sedentary (<30 minx3/week of leisure physical activity)
823 (83.0)
284 (82.3)
539 (83.3)
0.82
Median values (percentile 25–75) or n (%); number of patients in whom measurement was performed. All values included in Table 1 were determined at the time of recruitment to the study with the exception of baseline BP measurement indicative of values at the time of referral of patients to the CVHP. Systolic and diastolic BP and BP control at time of recruitment considers the average of the values in the last year at time of recruitment.
