ATHEROSCLEROTIC CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE, L IPEMIC DISORDERS, HYPERTENSION, OBESITY AND DIABETES-MELLITUS IN THE POPULATION OF A METROPOLITAN-AREA OF SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL - III - HYPERTENSION
Is. Martins et al., ATHEROSCLEROTIC CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE, L IPEMIC DISORDERS, HYPERTENSION, OBESITY AND DIABETES-MELLITUS IN THE POPULATION OF A METROPOLITAN-AREA OF SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL - III - HYPERTENSION, Revista de Saude Publica, 31(5), 1997, pp. 466-471
Objective The prevalencies of hypertension are analysed by sex and age
group, in social groupings established in accord with social criteria
. With a view better to understanding the social dimension of the dise
ase, prevalencies were characterised by type of occupation. Material a
nd Methods The sample consisted of 1,041 people and corresponds to the
sum of the samples representing the ''study areas'' established by th
e use of socio-economic and geographical criteria. Four social strata
were defined in obedience to a socioeconomic gradient. Hypertension wa
s defined by the Joint National Committee (JNC), 140/90 mmHg, and of t
he World Health Organization (WHO), 160/95 mmHg, standard references.
Results According to the JNC and WHO standard references the prevalenc
ies of hypertension, age adjusted, were of approximately the following
: stratum (I+II) 60 and 37%; stratum III 50 and 39%; stratum IV 55 e 4
6%. Among women the prevalencies were 40 and 38% (stratum I+II); 56 an
d 47% (stratum III) and 55 and 46% (stratum IV). For the men belonging
to the economically active population, classified by occupation, it w
as showed that the freelance professionals, consisting of businessmen
of small firms, small traders and liberal professionals, presented a p
revalence of about 60 and 37%; the skilled workers, employed in factor
ies of 35 and 14%; the daily freelance workers, unskilled laborers and
unemployed, of 59 and 40%. The women. were divided by occupation as b
elonging or not to the economically active population (EAP) and presen
ted the following prevalencies: 39 and 47%, respectively, according to
the JNC standard, and 27 and 45%, respectively, according to the WHO
standard. Thus it may be seen that these results run counter to the hy
pothesis that women integrated into the labour market are more exposed
to the risk factors for non-transmissible diseases. Conclusion Thus i
t may be concluded that the categories most affected by the present ec
onomic were those most affected by hypertension. On the other hand the
possibility of there being and a intense social determination in the
etiology of hypertension in this population is demonstrated.