FACTORS INFLUENCING UNAWARENESS OF HYPERTENSION AMONG OLDER MEXICAN-AMERICANS

Background. The objective of the study was to identify factors associa ted with unawareness of hypertension among Mexican Americans age 65 ye ars and older. Methods. This was a population-based survey of 3,050 ol der Mexican Americans conducted in five Southwestern states in 1993-19 94. An in-home interview included sociodemographics, review of medicat ions, and blood pressure measurements. Results. Sixty percent of all s ubjects were hypertensive, and 37% of these were unaware of their diag nosis. Unaware hypertensives had significantly higher mean blood press ures than did aware hypertensives (145.7/86.2 mm Hg vs 142.4/83.1 mm H g), While 77% of aware hypertensives were treated, only 10% of unaware hypertensives were treated. In multivariate analyses, factors associa ted with unawareness included male gender (OR = 1.8), being married (O R = 1.6), having Medicaid (OR = 1.6), having made fewer than two visit s to a doctor in the past year (OR = 2.8), having a history of heart d isease (OR = 0.57) or stroke (OR = 0.37), and having poor self-reporte d health (OR = 0.43). Conclusion. Despite 3 decades of hypertension de tection and education programs, unawareness of hypertension remains hi gh among older Mexican Americans, There is a continued need for commun ity-based education programs for hypertensives who are unaware of thei r diagnosis, and also there is need for programs to increase access to primary care physicians. (C) 1997 Academic Press.