Self-reported hypertension prevalence in the Brazilian population: analysis of the National Health Survey, 2013

Objective: to describe self-reported hypertension prevalence in Brazilian adults (aged 18 or over) for the entire country and by urban/rural areas, regions and states. Methods: this was a descriptive study using 2013 National Health Survey data from a sample of 60,202 adults; prevalence and respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated according to sex, age, schooling and race/skin color. Results: hypertension prevalence was 21.4% (95% CI: 20.8-22.0); prevalence was highest among women (24.2%; 95% CI: 23.4-24.9), individuals aged over 75 (55.0%; 95% CI: 51.8-58.3), those with less schooling (31.1%; 95% CI: 30.1-32.2), black skin color (24.2%; 95% CI: 22.2-26.3), those living in urban areas (21.7%; 95% CI: 21.0-22.3), in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (24.9%; 95% CI: 22.7-27.1) and in the Southeast region (23.3%; 95% CI: 23.3-24.3). Conclusion: hypertension prevalence was high in Brazilian adults, mainly among those aged 60 or over, with less schooling, living in urban areas and in the Southeast region.