Hypertension prevalence and care in an urban and rural area of Tanzania.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence, detection, treatment and control of hypertension in an urban and rural area of Tanzania.


METHODS
Two linked cross-sectional population-based surveys.


METHODS
A middle-income urban district of Dar es Salaam (Ilala) and a village in the relatively prosperous rural area of Kilimanjaro (Shari).


METHODS
Seven hundred and seventy adults (> 15 years) in Ilala and 928 adults in Shari were studied.


RESULTS
Hypertension prevalence (blood pressure > or = 140 and/or 90 mmHg, or known hypertensives receiving anti-hypertensive treatment) was 30% (95% confidence interval, 25.1-34.9%) in men and 28.6% (24.3-32.9%) in women in Ilala, and 32.2% (27.7-36.7%) in men and 31.5% (27.8-35.2%) in women in Shari. Age-standardized hypertension (to the New World Population) prevalence was 37.3% (32.2-42.5%) among men and 39.1% (34.2-44.0%) in women in Ilala, and 26.3% (22.4-30.4%) in men and 27.4% (24A-30.4%) in women in Shari. In both areas, just under 20% of hypertensive subjects were aware of their diagnosis, approximately 10% reported receiving treatment and less than 1% were controlled (blood pressure < 140/90 mmHg). Hypertensive subjects were older, had greater body mass indices and waist: hip ratios, and had more risk factors for hypertension and its complications (smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, obesity and diabetes) than non-hypertensives.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a high prevalence of hypertension in rural and urban areas of Tanzania, with low levels of detection, treatment and control. This demonstrates the need for cost-effective strategies for primary prevention, detection and treatment of hypertension and the growing public health challenge of non-communicable diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Edwards
R
R
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, The Medical School, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. p.r.edwards@newcastle.ac.uk
Unwin
N
N
Mugusi
F
F
Whiting
D
D
Rashid
S
S
Kissima
J
J
Aspray
T J
TJ
Alberti
K G
KG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population