Family Doctor Contract Services and Awareness of Blood Pressure Measurement Among Hypertension Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Shandong, China.

Background: Some studies found that family doctor contract services (FDCSs) had positive impact on the self-measurement behaviors of hypertension patients. However, evidence concerning the association between FDCSs and blood pressure measurement awareness among hypertension patients is not clear.

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between FDCSs and blood pressure measurement awareness among the hypertension patients, and examine whether there is a difference in this relationship among middle-aged and aged adults in rural Shandong, China.

Methods: A multi-stage stratified random sampling was adopted in 2018 in Shandong Province to conduct a questionnaire survey among the sample residents, in which 982 hypertension patients were included in the study. Pearson chi-square test and logistic regression model were employed using SPSS 24.0 to explore the association between FDCSs and blood pressure measurement awareness.

Results: 76.8% of hypertension patients would measure blood pressure regularly. The blood pressure measurement awareness of the signing group was significantly higher than that of the non-signing group when controlling other variables ( < 0.001, = 2.075, 95% 1.391-3.095). The interaction of age and contracting status were significantly correlated with blood pressure measurement awareness ( = 0.042, = 1.747, 95% 1.020-2.992; = 0.019, = 2.060, 95% 1.129-3.759). Factors including gender ( = 0.011, = 0.499, 95% 0.291-0.855), household income ( = 0.031, = 1.764, 95% 1.052-2.956), smoking status ( = 0.002, = 0.439, 95% 0.260-0.739), sports habits ( < 0.001, = 2.338, 95% 1.679-3.257), self-reported health ( = 0.031, = 1.608, 95% 1.043-2.477), distance to the village clinic ( = 0.006, = 1.952, 95% 1.208-3.153) and medications ( < 0.001, = 3.345, 95% 2.282-4.904) were also found to be associated with the blood pressure measurement awareness of hypertension patients.

Conclusion: The government should take efforts to strengthen publicity and education of family doctors and pay more attention to uncontracted, middle-aged, female patients and patients with unhealthy life behaviors to improve the blood pressure measurement awareness.