Abstract
Objective: The objectives of the study were to assess: Design and method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence and risk factors of CVDs using the WHO STEPS questionnaire survey, physical measurements and biochemical measurements. Sample size was 1,500 people aged 18–69 years. Samples composition: 900 urban and 600 rural population according to the overall urban/rural residents ratio specific for the region. Results: Respondents were asked whether they have ever had blood pressure measurement and whether they had been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Among all age groups, 4.1% reported that their blood pressure had never been measured; 59.8% had undergone blood pressure measurement but had not been diagnosed with hypertension; 6.9 % had been diagnosed with high blood pressure more than a year before; and 31.3% had been diagnosed with hypertension within the 12 months prior to the interview. Some statistically significant differences emerged in terms of raised blood pressure history between the sexes. A total of 6.0% of men had never had their blood pressure measured, compared to3.5% of women. The percentage of women diagnosed with high blood pressure during the previous 12 months was higher (31.9%) than that of men (29.2%) (Table 1). Compliance with high blood pressure treatment was found to be very low. Among all respondents aged 18–69 years diagnosed with high blood pressure, less than half were taking medication prescribed by a doctor or a health worker. The age group difference was statistically significant, with an increase in the proportion of those taking medication from 25.6% among the age group 18–34 years to 78.0% in the age group 55–69 years (Table 2). Conclusions: Coverage with blood pressure measurement was quite high among the respondents (over 95%, at almost twice higher proportion of males who never had measured their blood pressure). Almost third of respondents had been diagnosed with hypertension while compliance with proper treatment was insufficient.