Home blood pressure monitoring among Canadian adults with hypertension: results from the 2009 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada.
BACKGROUND
Canadians with hypertension are recommended to use home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) on a regular basis.


OBJECTIVE
To characterize the use of HBPM among Canadian adults with hypertension.


METHODS
Respondents to the 2009 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada who reported diagnosis of hypertension by a health professional (n=6142) were asked about blood pressure monitoring practices, sociodemographic characteristics, management of hypertension and blood pressure control.


RESULTS
Among Canadian adults with hypertension, 45.9% (95% CI 43.5% to 48.3%) monitor their own blood pressure at home, 29.7% (95% CI 41.1% to 46.3%) receive health professional instruction and 35.9% (95% CI 33.5% to 38.4%) share the results with their health professional. However, fewer than one in six Canadian adults diagnosed with hypertension monitor their own blood pressure at home regularly, with health professional instruction, and communicate results to a health professional. Regular HBPM was more likely among older adults (45 years of age and older); individuals who believed they had a plan for how to control their blood pressure; and those who had been shown how to perform HBPM by a health professional - with the latter factor most strongly associated with regular HBPM (prevalence rate ratio 2.8; 95% CI 2.4 to 3.4).


CONCLUSIONS
Although many Canadians with hypertension measure their blood pressure between health care professional visits, a minority do so according to current recommendations. More effective knowledge translation strategies are required to support self-management of hypertension through home measurement of blood pressure.
Bancej
Christina M
CM
Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
Campbell
Norm
N
McKay
Donald W
DW
Nichol
Marianne
M
Walker
Robin L
RL
Kaczorowski
Janusz
J
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002170:Canada; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents