Awareness, Treatment and Control of Hypertension Among Filipino Immigrants

• Published in: Journal of general internal medicine : JGIM 2014-03, Vol.29 (3), p.455-462
• Main Authors: Ursua, Rhodora, Aguilar, David, Wyatt, Laura, Tandon, Shiv Darius, Escondo, Kirklyn, Rey, Mariano, Trinh-Shevrin, Chau
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - ethnology; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Awareness; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emigrants and Immigrants - psychology; Female; Filipino Americans; General aspects; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice - ethnology; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - ethnology; Hypertension - psychology; Hypertension - therapy; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; New Jersey - ethnology; New York City - ethnology; Noncitizens; Original Research; Philippines - ethnology; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk factors; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0884-8734; 1525-1497
• DOI: 10.1007/s11606-013-2629-4

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Filipino Americans have high rates of hypertension, yet little research has examined hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in this group. OBJECTIVE In a community-based sample of hypertensive Filipino American immigrants, we identify 1) rates of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control; and 2) factors associated with awareness, treatment, and control. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of survey data from health screenings collected from 2006 to 2010. PARTICIPANTS A total of 566 hypertensive Filipino immigrants in New York City, New York and Jersey City, New Jersey. MAIN MEASURES Hypertension awareness, treatment, and control. Participants were included in analysis if they were hypertensive, based on: a past physician diagnosis, antihypertensive medication use, and/or high blood pressure (BP) screening measurements. Demographic variables included sex, age, time in the United States, location of residence, and English spoken language fluency. Health-related variables included self-reported health, insurance status, diabetes diagnosis, high cholesterol diagnosis, clinical measures (body mass index [BMI], glucose, and cholesterol), exercise frequency, smoking status, cardiac event history, family history of cardiac event, and family history of hypertension. RESULTS Among the hypertensive individuals, awareness, treatment, and control rates were suboptimal; 72.1 % were aware of their status, 56.5 % were on medication, and only 21.7 % had controlled BP. Factors related to awareness included older age, worse self-reported health, family history of hypertension, and a diagnosis of high cholesterol or diabetes; factors related to treatment included older age, longer time lived in the United States, and being a non-smoker; having health insurance was found to be the main predictor of hypertension control. Many individuals had other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors; 60.4 % had a BMI ≥25, 12.0 % had at-risk glucose measurements and 12.8 % had cholesterol ≥ 240. CONCLUSIONS Hypertensive Filipinos exhibit poor hypertension management, warranting increased efforts to improve awareness, treatment and control. Culturally tailored public health strategies must be prioritized to reduce CVD risk factors among at-risk minority populations.