Prevalence and Awareness of Hypertension in Pazar District of Tokat Province: A Community-Based Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of hypertension in individuals over the age of 18, risk factors, knowledge and opinions of society about hypertension, and awareness of hypertension in Pazar district of Tokat province. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Pazar district of Tokat province between February and May 2022. The research was conducted with 270 individuals over the age of 18 who agreed to participate in the study in each neighborhood in the district center using the proportional cluster sampling method. Results: While the prevalence of hypertension was 27%, awareness of hypertension was 21.9% in individuals. Both the prevalence of hypertension and awareness of hypertension were statistically significantly high in individuals with a family history of hypertension and comorbidities. Each unit increase in age increases the probability of hypertension by 1.112 times. Low-income participants were 8.381 times more likely to have hypertension than high-income participants. Comorbidities increase the risk of hypertension by 4.541 times. The rate of individuals who were diagnosed with hypertension by a physician was 5.9%, and the rate of regular use of the drugs recommended by the physician was only 62.5%. Conclusion: Hypertension is observed in approximately one in every three people, and the rate of awareness of hypertension is quite low. It is recommended that individuals in society should be screened for hypertension with blood pressure measurements at regular intervals, and health education should be planned for awareness.