Background: Hypertension is a significant public health challenge contributing to cardiovascular disease and\r\nstroke, and leads to premature mortality and disability both globally and locally.\r\nObjective: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension and to determine the awareness, treatment and control of\r\nhypertension in an urban Chinese population.\r\nMethods: A cross-sectional, quantitative survey design. A total of 1448 community residents were recruited from\r\nthe SuiGuoHu district using a stratified random sampling strategy. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires\r\nand health examination.\r\nResults: The prevalence of hypertension was 35.4%, significantly higher in women (40.8%) than in men (30.7%)\r\n(P<0.001). More than one third (37.9%) of those with hypertension were not compliant with prescribed medications,\r\nsignificantly higher among women (44.4%) than men (28.6%). Approximately 68% were aware, with women (75.6%)\r\nsignificantly higher than men (60.3%) (P<0.001). The treatment rates were 87.7% and women were less likely (46.7%)\r\nto have their blood pressure controlled than men (47.2%).\r\nConclusions: Our findings indicated that hypertension was highly prevalent. The rates of awareness, treatment\r\nand control were also higher than in previous China surveys. Overall, the present study showed that more women than\r\nmen suffered from hypertension and were treated. However, women were less likely to be compliant with medication\r\nor have their blood pressure under control. This information is important in enabling community health nurses to play\r\na vital role as a source of primary and secondary prevention of CVD to design a culturally sensitive program targeted\r\nat high-risk populations like older women and those living alone, so as to diminish the prevalence of hypertension and\r\nreduce the burden of CVD in urban areas, Wuhan of China.
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