BLOOD-PRESSURE AWARENESS IN AUSTRIA - IND ICATIONS OF INCREASING DEFICIENCIES

Attitudes and knowledge of the Austrian population concerning hyperten sion have been investigated on a regular basis for 15 years (1978-1993 ). In 1978 a public campaign of information on hypertension was conduc ted all over Austria. Between 1978 and 1993 four representative popula tion surveys, based on random samples, were performed (1978, 1984, 199 0, 1993). The four surveys showed that maximal blood pressure awarenes s after the campaign was followed by a decrease of awareness between 1 984 and 1993. Above all, lack of knowledge of personal blood pressure increased markedly over the observation period. The determinant ''don' t know my blood pressure'' was self reported by 10% in 1978, 7% in 198 4, rising to 17% and 18% in 1990 and 1993, respectively. This increase was significant in females and males younger than 50 years. Nearly no differences were found in self-reported high blood pressure and antih ypertensive drug intake between 1978 and 1993 (1978, 1984, 1990: 14%, 1993: 12% with respect to the former; 1978: 10%, 1990: 11%, 1993: 8% w ith respect to the latter). In 1993 significantly less people than in 1978 reported that their blood pressure had been measured within the p ast three months (1978: 49%; 1993: 34%). People estimated overweight, alcohol, mental stress, and cigarette smoking as the most important ri sk factors for hypertension (89%, 89%, 88%, 83%, respectively). The im portance of these risk factors in the eyes of the questioned populatio n increased between 1978 and 1993, significantly in the case of cigare tte smoking. Primarily a lack of information was found in knowledge of personal values, whereas knowledge of risk factors for hypertension w as considerably higher. The results of the four surveys lead to the co nclusion that the population should be informed about the health hazar ds of high blood pressure more intensively and people should be motiva ted to take an interest in their blood pressure.