The urban-rural disparity in the prevalence and risk factors of hypertension among the elderly in China-a cross-sectional study

Hongxun Song; Da Feng; Ruoxi Wang; Jian Yang; Yuanqing Li; Junliang Gao; Zi Wang; Ziqi Yan; Chengxu Long; Jiawei Zhou; Zhanchun Feng

doi:10.7717/peerj.8015

The urban-rural disparity in the prevalence and risk factors of hypertension among the elderly in China-a cross-sectional study

PeerJ. 2019 Nov 7:7:e8015. doi: 10.7717/peerj.8015. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Hongxun Song¹, Da Feng², Ruoxi Wang¹, Jian Yang¹, Yuanqing Li¹, Junliang Gao¹, Zi Wang¹, Ziqi Yan¹, Chengxu Long¹, Jiawei Zhou¹, Zhanchun Feng¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China, Department of Health Management, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
² School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of hypertension and to explore the disparities of its risk factors among urban and rural elderly.

Method: Data of hypertensive patients were collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2015. Stratified sample households were selected from 450 villages or communities of 150 counties from 28 provinces. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to analyze the factors correlated with hypertension.

Results: Prevalence of HBP was 47.6% (95% CI [45.2%-50.1%]) in total and it was close between urban and rural population (48.6% vs 47.2%). Factors associated with HBP were different between urban and rural areas. In urban areas, hypertension was significantly associated with literacy and diabetes in both genders, high BMI level and smoke quitters in males, and physical activity and dyslipidemia in females. In rural areas, hypertension was significantly associated with older age, higher BMI level in both males and females, and dyslipidemia in males.

Conclusions: The prevalence are about the same among urban and rural residents, but their risk factors vary from each other. Disparity in the risk factors between urban and rural population should be taken into consideration for further intervention.

Keywords: Chinese; Hypertension; Prevalence; Risk factors; Rural; Urban.

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71473097). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.