Prevalence of diabetes and hypertension based on self-reported morbidity survey, Brazil, 2006.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of self-reported diabetes and hypertension and their absolute numbers in Brazil.


METHODS
Data from 54,369 individuals aged > or = 18 years, interviewed by the Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (VIGITEL--Telephone-based Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases), conducted in 27 Brazilian state capitals in 2006, and who responded positively to questions about high blood pressure and diabetes, were analyzed. Percentages of self-reported hypertension and diabetes, estimated in the sample, were projected to the Brazilian population, according to age, sex and nutritional status, using the direct standardization method.


RESULTS
Prevalence of diabetes was 5.3% higher in women (6.0% vs. 4.4%), varying from 2.9% in Palmas (Northern Brazil) to 6.2% in São Paulo ( Southeastern Brazil). Prevalence of hypertension was 21.6% (21.3; 22.0) higher in women (24.4% vs. 18.4%), varying from 15.1% in Palmas to 24.9% in Recife (Northeastern Brazil). Prevalences increased with age and nutritional status. It was estimated that there were 6,317,621 adults who reported having diabetes and 25,690,145 adults who reported having hypertension in Brazil.


CONCLUSIONS
Prevalence of self-reported diabetes and hypertension are high in Brazil. Monitoring of these and other health conditions can be performed using strategies such as the VIGITEL, especially if followed by validation studies, aiming to generalize results.
Schmidt
Maria Ines
MI
Departamento de Medicina Social, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. maria.schmidt@ufrgs.br
Duncan
Bruce B
BB
Hoffmann
Juliana Feliciati
JF
Moura
Lenildo de
Ld
Malta
Deborah Carvalho
DC
Carvalho
Rosa Maria Sampaio Vilanova de
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult