2006 Ontario Survey on the Prevalence and Control of Hypertension (ON-BP): rationale and design of a community-based cross-sectional survey.
BACKGROUND
The presently available Canadian data, based on direct measurements of blood pressure (BP) from the Canadian Heart Health Surveys, are more than 15 years old. In view of major changes in the demographics and health status of the Ontario population, there is an urgent need to update this information. On the initiative of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, jointly with Statistics Canada, designed and implemented a population-based cross-sectional survey of hypertension in the Province of Ontario: the 2006 Ontario Survey on the Prevalence and Control of Hypertension (ON-BP).


OBJECTIVE
To establish the prevalence of hypertension in the Ontario adult population between the ages of 20 and 79 years; to assess the awareness, current status and management of hypertension; and to gather respondent information about sex, age, physical measurements, personal health practices, socioeconomic measures, ethnicity and comorbidities.


METHODS
The present paper describes the background history and the successive steps undertaken during the implementation of this project.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors' experiences from the ON-BP indicate that close co-operation between research scientists, statisticians, governmental and nongovernmental organizations -- in the present case, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario -- is essential to conduct a successful, large-scale survey of BP distribution.
Fodor
J George
JG
University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada. gfodor@ottawaheart.ca
Leenen
Frans H H
FH
Helis
Eftyhia
E
Turton
Penelope
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents