Hypertension and Comorbidities in Rural and Urban Chinese Older People: An Epidemiological Subanalysis From the SAGE Study

Abstract

Abstract Background There is a lack of studies comparing hypertension and comorbidities in rural and urban older people in China. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of hypertension and comorbidities in older people and to describe differences between patients from rural and urban areas in China. Methods A cross-sectional study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) was conducted from 2007 to 2010 across 8 provinces in China. The current study included a nationally representative subsample of 7,403 respondents aged 60 years and above. Hypertension was either self-reported diagnosed hypertension or 1 elevated measured blood pressure measurement (≥140/90 mm Hg). Comorbidities were self-reported and included angina, arthritis, asthma, stroke, diabetes, depression, and chronic lung disease. Results The prevalence of hypertension was 66.1%. Hypertension associated with 1 comorbidity was recorded in 35.9% of all participants. A large majority (73.6%) of participants with hypertension reported “good” or “very good” general health status. The prevalence of hypertension and the number of comorbidities increased with age. The prevalence rates of multiple comorbidities were higher for urban participants than their rural counterparts (27.8 vs. 42.4% for 1 morbidity; 7.7 vs. 16.4% for 2 comorbidities; 1.4 vs. 4.7% for 3 comorbidities; 0.4 vs. 1.2% for ≥4 comorbidities) after adjustment for sociodemographic factors. However, urban participants reported better general health status, irrespective of the number of comorbidities. Conclusions Our study implies that health promotion policies targeting older people should be developed. Rural areas should be a priority, and investment in the quality of health care in rural areas is urgently needed.