Prevalence of Systemic Arterial Hypertension in Quilombola Communities, State of Sergipe, Brazil

BACKGROUND: The quilombolas are groups formed by black ancestry individuals, living in a context of social vulnerability due to low socioeconomic level, which influences health care and the development of chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of systemic arterial hypertension and its association with cardiovascular risk factors in the quilombola population in the State of Sergipe, Brazil. METHODS: Study design was cross sectional, involving the administration of a questionnaire to individuals aged ≥ 18 years, in 15 quilombola communities of the State of Sergipe, Brazil. A value of two-sided p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: sA total of 390 individuals were evaluated, 72.3% of whom were women, with a mean age of 44.7 years. The prevalence of hypertension was 26% (with a confidence interval of 95% [95% CI]: 22-30), with no significant sex-related differences. The age was associated with arterial hypertension (95% CI: 1.03-1.06), systolic (95% CI: 1.04-1.07) and diastolic (IC 95%: 1.01-1.04) arterial hypertension. The level of body mass index was associated with arterial hypertension (95% CI: 1.00-1.11) and diastolic arterial hypertension (95% CI: 1.03-1.17). Economic class was associated with diastolic arterial hypertension (95% CI: 1.22-5.03). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of arterial hypertension in the quilombola communities was high. Its association with cardiovascular risk factors indicates the need to improve access to healthcare services.