International Journal of Collaborative Research on Internal Medicine & Public Health

Socioeconomic Factors Influencing the Prevalence of Hypertension in the Rural Elderly Population of Thai Binh Province, Northern Vietnam

Introduction/ Background: Due to the aging population of Vietnam, current healthcare priorities are shifting toward the prevention of chronic diseases in the elderly.

Aims & Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the socioeconomic factors affecting the prevalence of hypertension in the rural elderly population.

Methods/Study design: We selected 351 individuals, aged 60–92 years, in the villages of Bach Thuan and Tan Phong, Vu Thu district, Thai Binh province, Vietnam. After excluding those with missing data, we evaluated 309 individuals (140 men and 169 women) for blood pressure, body mass index, and their responses to a social and economic questionnaire.

Results: Individuals with a high economic status had a lower prevalence of moderate or severe hypertension than those with a low economic status (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.14–0.90).

Discussion/Conclusion: Our results suggest that elderly, rural men in Vietnam who are economically vulnerable are particularly at risk for developing severe hypertension.

Author(s): M Wakabayas

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