185867 Validity of Self-Reported Hypertension Status in a Community-Based Stroke Prevention Program

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 9:20 AM

Gaurav Dave, MD, MPH , Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Durham, NC
Robert Aronson, DrPH , Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Daniel L. Bibeau, PhD , Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Mark Schulz , Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Chere Chase , Forsyth Stroke and Neurovascular Center, Novant Health, Winston Salem, NC
Robert Romanchuk , Director, Office of Clinical Trials and Grants, Novant Health, Winston Salem, NC
Collectively, cardiovascular diseases and stroke are the leading causes of death in the U.S. and are included among the focus areas in Healthy People 2010. Hypertension is one of the chief risk factors leading to the development of CVDs and stroke in the U.S. The Framingham Heart Study researchers found that the lifetime risk for hypertension among non-hypertensives after the age of 55 years is approximately 90 percent for both men and women in the U.S. Community Initiative to Eliminate Stroke (CITIES) of North Carolina was a three year federally funded initiative implemented in Guilford and Forsyth counties. The main components of the project were stroke risk assessment screening for resident, including self-reporting of hypertension status, clinical blood pressure measures (n = 15,717) and risk reduction services in the community organizations.

The sensitivity and specificity of the screening test were 33% and 89.5% respectively among participants who did not take any blood pressure lowering medications. 16.6% of participants self-reported as not having hypertension and were found to have elevated blood pressure levels. 48% of participants who were on blood pressure lowering medications had elevated levels of systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure. This session will provide an overview of the results obtained through analysis of screening data and evaluate the concordance of self-reported hypertension status compared to measurement of blood pressure levels. This session will allow participants to understand the implications of utilizing self-report as an expedient tool for screening large numbers of people and make recommendations for future research.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to, 1. Assess the concordance between self reported hypertension status and measured blood pressure levels and the need to measure blood pressure levels individually in large community screening programs 2. Evaluate the potential for self-report as a more expedient tool for screening large numbers of people and to better focus CVD and clinical screening services

Keywords: Hypertension, Screening

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Education: Graduated from Medical School (MD) and Masters in Public Health (MPH) and currently pursuing DrPH (2nd year) Research: Graduate assistant for Community Initiative to Eliminate Stroke Project since Nov. 2004
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.