Desigualdades da prevalência de hipertensão arterial entre adolescentes brasileiros

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and analyze demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with arterial hypertension among Brazilian adolescents. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, multicentric and nationwide study with 4,471 adolescents who were interviewed during external evaluations of the National Program for Quality Improvement in Primary Care, between 2013 and 2014. The prevalence of hypertension was estimated, with its 95% confidence intervals (CI95%) according to socioeconomic and demographic factors. Differences between prevalence were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test. Poisson regression with robust variances was performed to estimate factors associated with hypertension. Results: The national prevalence of hypertension was 4.2% (CI95%: 3.6-4.8%), with no statistically significant differences between the regions of the country. Among the demographic and socioeconomic factors analyzed, only race black had a higher prevalence of diagnosis of hypertension (PR: 1.65; CI95%: 1.07-2.55). Conclusion: These findings show health inequity, as skin color can be considered a proxy for socioeconomic status.