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. 2019 Apr;98(16):e15093.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000015093.

The frequency and determinants of blood pressure measurement by a health professional in Germany: A cross-sectional study

Claudia Diederichs  1   2 , Hannelore Neuhauser  1   2
Affiliations

The frequency and determinants of blood pressure measurement by a health professional in Germany: A cross-sectional study

Claudia Diederichs et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Strong evidence exists for the benefits of screening for hypertension to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and death. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency and determinants of blood pressure (BP) measurement by a health professional in the general population and in individuals without hypertension in Germany.Data from 17,431 participants 15+ years from the cross-sectional GEDA2014/2015-EHIS survey were used to calculate the percentage of the population who had no BP measurement within the last year and the last 3 years. In multivariate models, the determinants of no BP measurement were analyzed. The frequency of BP measurement was compared between 30 European countries.In Germany, 27.5% of men and 16.6% of women had no BP measurement by a health professional within the last year and 10.9%, respectively 5.4% not within the last 3 years. In individuals without known hypertension, 34.1% of men and 23.6% of women aged 15 to 19 years had no BP measurement in the last 3 years compared to 5.2% of men and 4.8% of women 70+ years. Independent predictors of not receiving a BP measurement in the last 3 years besides age were male sex, good self-rated health, low health awareness, and no medical consultations but not educational level. Germany has low proportions of no BP measurement compared to other European countries.Hypertension screening needs improvement in all age groups, especially in the young who have the lowest screening proportions but also in the elderly who have the highest hypertension risk.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage (% with 95%-CI) of men 15 + years without hypertension (n = 7446) who had no blood pressure measurement by a health professional within the last year or within the last 3 years (GEDA 2014/2015-EHIS data). CI = confidence interval, EHIS = European Health Interview Survey.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage (% with 95%-CI) of women 15 + years without hypertension (n = 9895) who had no blood pressure measurement by a health professional within the last year or within the last 3 years (GEDA 2014/2015-EHIS data). CI = confidence interval, EHIS = European Health Interview Survey.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Factors associated with no blood pressure measurement within the last 3 years in individuals 15+ without hypertension (adjusted OR with 95%-CI) on the basis of GEDA 2014/2015-EHIS data. CI = confidence interval, EHIS = European Health Interview Survey, OR = odds ratio.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Percentage (%) of men 15+ years who had no blood pressure measurement by a health professional within the last year and the last 3 years in different European countries (EHIS data). EHIS = European Health Interview Survey.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Percentage (%) of women 15+ years who had no blood pressure measurement by a health professional within the last year and the last 3 years in different European countries (EHIS data). EHIS = European Health Interview Survey.
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