Prevalence of high blood pressure levels and associated factors among adults in Southern Brazil.

Background: Few population-based studies have been carried out in Brazilian medium-sized cities in order to estimate high levels of blood pressure and associated factors.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of high blood pressure and associated factors among adults in Lages,Southern Brazil.

Methods: Population-based cross sectional study carried out in adults aged 20 to 59 years living in the urban area (n=2,022). The dependent variable was high levels of blood pressure (> or = 140/90 mmHg). Exploratory variables: sex, age, schooling, per capita family income, self-reported ethnicity, body mass index, tobacco and alcohol addiction, physical activity and self-reported diabetes. The Chi-square test and linear trends were used to test associations between the dependent variable and the exploratory variables. Unadjusted and adjusted multivariate Poisson regression analyses were performed.

Results: Response rate was 98.6%. The prevalence of high blood pressure levels was 33.7% (95CI%: 31.7-36.1) for the population as a whole, ranging from 31.1% in men to 38.1% in women. After statistical adjustment for possible confounders, the following were associated with high blood pressure levels: male gender (PR =1.22 95%CI 1.1-1.4), older age, overweight (PR= 1.40 95%CI 1.18-1.67), obesity (PR = 1.95 95% CI 1.61-2.36), Asian ethnicity (PR 1.29 95%CI 1.12-1.48) and self-reported diabetes mellitus (PR 1.29 95%CI 1.12-1.48).

Conclusions: One third of the assessed adults presented high blood pressure levels, similar to most of the Brazilian findings. Factors that can be prevented, such as overweight, obesity and self-reported diabetes were associated with high blood pressure levels.