OBJECTIVE: This study reports the
prevalence of
hypertension, proportions of
awareness, treatment, and control in the 2002 Taiwanese Survey on
Hypertension,
Hyperglycemia, and
Hyperlipidemia (TwSHHH), and compared the changes of
hypertension prevalence,
awareness, treatment, and control in two recent nationwide surveys. METHODS: TwSHHH is the second nationwide survey designed to assess the
prevalence,
awareness, treatment, and control of
hyperglycemia,
hyperlipidemia, and
hypertension. The TwSHHH survey applied a
multistage, stratified, and
random sampling during 2002 with a total of 7566 participants. Among them, 3088 male and 3391 female participants were 19 years old and over and were
selected from households throughout Taiwan. The data of Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT), the first nationwide survey to assess disease and nutrition status during 1993-1996, was also applied to compare changes of the
prevalence,
awareness, treatment, and control of
hypertension between the two surveys. RESULTS: Compared with the NAHSIT, the
prevalence of
hypertension on TwSHHH decreased significantly in female adults, between 1993-1996 and 2002. In both males and females of all age groups, the
awareness, treatment, and control of
hypertension significantly and substantially improved between NAHSIT and TwSHHH. These results also
correlated in time with the implementation of National Health Insurance since 1995. The favorable changes in education and availability of care may account for improved control of
hypertension and, possibly, its prevention. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant improvement of
hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in the TwSHHH survey compared with the NAHSIT survey in Taiwan.
