title: Prevalence of arterial hypertension among Seventh-Day Adventists of the São Paulo state capital and inner area.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inadequate life habits are known to favor hypertension, and Adventists recommend healthy life habits.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of hypertension among Seventh-Day Adventists from the inner São Paulo state and São Paulo state capital.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study assessed 264 Adventists (mean age, 41.17 ± 15.27 years; women, 59.8%) with a high religiosity level assessed by use of the Duke University Religion Index. Blood pressure was measured with a validated automatic device. The significance level adopted was p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total prevalence of hypertension was 22.7% (27.4% in the inner state and 15% in the capital). The Adventists from the capital differed from those of inner state as follows (p < 0.05), respectively: higher education (62% vs 36.6%); employed by a third party (44%) vs self-employed (40.9%); family income (8.39 ± 6.20 vs 4.59 ± 4.75 minimum wages); individual income (4.54 ± 5.34 vs 6.35 ± 48; couple responsible for family income (35% vs 39.6%); vegetarianism (11% vs 3%); blood pressure (115.38 ± 16.52/68.74 ± 8.94 vs 123.66 ± 19.62/74.88 ± 11.85 mmHg); white ethnicity (65% vs 81.1%); married (53% vs 68.9%); lower tangible support in the social aspect (15.7 ± 5.41 vs 16.9 ± 4.32); and recalling the last time one's blood pressure was measured (65% vs 48.8%). On multivariate analysis, hypertension associated with the following: 1) vegetarianism (OR 0.051; 95% CI: 0.004-0.681); 2) educational level (OR 5.317; 95% CI: 1.674-16.893); 3) recalling the last time one's blood pressure was measured (OR 2.725; 95% CI: 1.275-5.821); 4) being retired (OR 8.846; 95% CI: 1.406-55.668); and 5) being responsible for family income (OR 0.422; 95% CI: 0.189-0.942).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of hypertension among Adventists was lower as compared with that reported in Brazilian studies, and it was lower in the São Paulo state capital as compared with that in the inner São Paulo state, possibly because of the better socioeconomic conditions and life habits of the former.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leilane Bagno Eleutério da
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Stael Silvana Bagno Eleutério da
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Amanda Garcia
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Marcílio
authors.forename: Angela Maria Geraldo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pierin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D033303:Protestantism; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors