Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education
Open Access

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. As China�s population ages, burden of hypertension has concentrated in elderly women groups. The empirical analyses have identified making healthrelated behavior changes is to be effective in controlling hypertension. The study was to discover the main behavioral risk factors influencing blood pressure control of elderly women with hypertension in Jiangsu Province, China. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: 5,234 cases of women aged 60 and above in Jiangsu Province were recruited by multi-stage stratified cluster and random sampling method in 2013 and investigated by the household health survey. The data of self-reported level of blood pressure control among diagnosed hypertension cases, and their demographic factors and behavior factors of tobacco use, alcohol use, physical activities and therapeutic actions were analyzed by chi-square test and Logistic regression modeling. Findings & Conclusion: Hypertension were observed 2,227 out of 5,234 respondents (42.5%), of whom 1721 reported keeping blood pressure normal (77.3%). According to univariate analyses, exercise frequency per week, annual physical examine, blood pressure monitoring, medicine-taking behavior, education level, geography of the place and per capita annual incomes of households were statistically greater in the normal blood pressure group than in the abnormal blood pressure or be not aware of their blood pressure group (p<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that exercise frequency per week, blood pressure monitoring and medicine-taking behavior were independent behavior influencing factors for blood pressure control (p<0.05). It could be concluded that regular physical activity, periodical monitoring blood pressure and taking medicine as directed have significant effect on blood pressure control. According to elderly female�s features, to set up community behavior intervention model and strengthen disease management on hypertension, can help to improve the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease for elderly women.

Biography

Hui Lu is the Associate Professor and Head of Department of Social Medicine & Health Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University. She has been to Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden for 3 months and has worked in Foreign Loan Office, Ministry of Health, China. She has her research expertise in health system strengthening and policy development on disease control, health care services research for vulnerable populations and health education and health promotion.