The Challenge of Hypertension to South African Health Psychology. 2. The Epidemiological, Economic, Social and Political Context

Abstract

This is the second of two papers which examine the contribution that health psychology can make to the problem of hypertension in South Africa. Essentially hypertension is a chronic medical condition that leads to increased susceptibility to life-threatening diseases. In this paper the author summarizes data on its high prevalence in the various South African race groups, and on the low rates of diagnosis and treatment. Research on the possibility of genetic susceptibility of blacks to hypertension is reviewed. An analysis of the political, economic and social context, and the state of the health care infrastructure in South Africa is presented in order to evaluate the potential for establishing on a large scale educational and cognitive and behavioural programmes of the type described in the first paper. Although the outlook is pessimistic, a number of initiatives that can be taken by psychologists in the teaching, research and political spheres are suggested.