title: Factors associated with blood pressure control among patients attending the outpatient clinic of a South African district hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and factors associated with blood pressure (BP) control.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study involving 251 consecutively-sampled patients, a semi-structured questionnaire collected information on socio-demography, co-morbidities, hypertension treatments and BP control. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most participants were: on treatment for >5 years (60.6%); on three or more drugs (93.6%); treated according to guidelines (77%); and reported not missing medications in the last week (86.5%). BP control was achieved in only 31.5% and 16.7% of participants at the current and last visits, respectively. In multivariate regression analysis, a history of myocardial infarction (odd ratio [OR] = 0.41; P = 0.04) and being divorced/widowed (OR = 3.1; P = 0.01) predicted poor BP control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms the prevalent sub-optimal control of BP and suggests the need for further studies to examine the relationship between marital support, critical medical events and BP control.
authors.affiliation: Specialist Family Physician, Department of Family Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Batubenga
authors.affiliation: Head of Clinical unit and Senior Lecturer, Department of Family Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa alagbaomole@gmail.com.
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Omole
authors.affiliation: Head of Clinical unit and Senior Lecturer, Department of Family Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044383:Black People; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Africa; cardiovascular; disease; disease control; location; physiology; treatment