Changes in blood pressure measurement prevalence among United States adults with hypertension before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted health care, with particularly profound effects on persons with chronic conditions like hypertension. Objectives: In this study, we examined changes in the prevalence of blood pressure (BP) measurements by a healthcare professional among adults aged ≥ 18 years with hypertension before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States (US). Methods: This study utilized the National Health Interview Survey data from April to December of the 2019 and 2021 modules of the survey. A total of 15,855 participants were included in the analytic sample. The prevalence of BP measurements taken by a health professional was calculated and the association between survey year and BP measurements was evaluated using adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models. Results: Overall, the prevalence of BP measurements by a health professional among US adults with hypertension decreased from 95.9 % in the pre-pandemic period to 94.7 % in the pandemic period. Adults with hypertension were less likely (OR: 0.76, 95 % CI: 0.63–0.91) to report having had a BP measurement taken by a health professional during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Conclusion: Self-measured BP monitoring with clinical support could ensure continuous and improved care of individuals with hypertension, especially when circumstances could interrupt healthcare access.

Keywords

• Hypertension
• COVID-19
• Self-measured blood pressure monitoring