Missed Opportunities to Improve the Health of Postpartum Women: High Rates of Untreated Hypertension in Rural Tanzania
- PDF / 734,565 Bytes
- 7 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 25 Downloads / 155 Views
BRIEF REPORTS
Missed Opportunities to Improve the Health of Postpartum Women: High Rates of Untreated Hypertension in Rural Tanzania Elysia Larson1 · Miriam Rabkin2 · Godfrey M. Mbaruku3 · Redempta Mbatia4 · Margaret E. Kruk1
Published online: 24 January 2017 © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2017
Abstract Objectives To assess the prevalence of high blood pressure amongst postpartum women in rural Tanzania, and to explore factors associated with hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control. Methods 1849 women in Tanzania’s Pwani Region who delivered a child in the prior year participated in the study. We measured blood pressure, administered a structured questionnaire and assessed factors associated with the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension (HTN) using bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions. Findings 26.7% of women had high blood pressure and/ or were taking antihypertensive medication. Women were on average 27.5 years old (range 15–54). Nearly all women (99.5%) reported contact with the health system during their pregnancy and delivery, with an average of 5.2 visits for their own care in the past year. Only 23.5% of those with HTN were aware of their diagnosis, 17.4% were taking medication, and only 10.5% had controlled blood pressure. In multivariable analysis, facility delivery, health insurance, and increased distance from a hospital were associated with increased likelihood of HTN awareness; facility delivery and hospital distance were associated with current hypertensive treatment; younger age and increased hospital * Elysia Larson [email protected] 1
Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, 11th floor, Boston, MA 02115, USA
2
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
3
Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
4
Tanzania Health Promotion Support, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
distance were associated with control of HTN. Conclusion The prevalence of high blood pressure in this postpartum population was high, and despite frequent recent contacts with the health system, awareness, treatment and control of HTN were low. These findings highlight an important missed opportunity to improve women’s health during antenatal and postnatal care. Keywords Health services research · Hypertension · Obstetrics and gynecology · Primary care
Significance What is already known on this subject? The prevalence of hypertension among adults in Africa is growing, yet fewer than one-third of hypertensive individuals are aware of their status. The prevalence of hypertension, one’s awareness of her hypertensive status, and treatment among postpartum women is unknown. What does this study add? Hypertension is distressingly common among postpartum women in rural Tanzania. Despite frequent interactions with the health system, few women were aware of their diagnosis and only one in ten women had controlled blood pressure. This highlights a very importan
Data Loading...
