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. 2015 Jan;48(1):38-47.
doi: 10.3961/jpmph.14.043. Epub 2015 Jan 14.

Gender differences in hypertension control among older korean adults: Korean social life, health, and aging project

Sang Hui Chu  1 , Ji Won Baek  2 , Eun Sook Kim  3 , Katherine M Stefani  4 , Won Joon Lee  5 , Yeong-Ran Park  6 , Yoosik Youm  2 , Hyeon Chang Kim  5
Affiliations

Gender differences in hypertension control among older korean adults: Korean social life, health, and aging project

Sang Hui Chu et al. J Prev Med Public Health. 2015 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: Controlling blood pressure is a key step in reducing cardiovascular mortality in older adults. Gender differences in patients' attitudes after disease diagnosis and their management of the disease have been identified. However, it is unclear whether gender differences exist in hypertension management among older adults. We hypothesized that gender differences would exist among factors associated with hypertension diagnosis and control among community-dwelling, older adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 653 Koreans aged ≥60 years who participated in the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare several variables between undiagnosed and diagnosed hypertension, and between uncontrolled and controlled hypertension.

Results: Diabetes was more prevalent in men and women who had uncontrolled hypertension than those with controlled hypertension or undiagnosed hypertension. High body mass index was significantly associated with uncontrolled hypertension only in men. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that in women, awareness of one's blood pressure level (odds ratio [OR], 2.86; p=0.003) and the number of blood pressure checkups over the previous year (OR, 1.06; p=0.011) might influence the likelihood of being diagnosed with hypertension. More highly educated women were more likely to have controlled hypertension than non-educated women (OR, 5.23; p=0.013).

Conclusions: This study suggests that gender differences exist among factors associated with hypertension diagnosis and control in the study population of community-dwelling, older adults. Education-based health promotion strategies for hypertension control might be more effective in elderly women than in elderly men. Gender-specific approaches may be required to effectively control hypertension among older adults.

Keywords: Gender identity; Hypertension; Management; Older adults.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest with the material presented in this paper.

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