Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension Among Older Adults in the Philippines.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the current prevalence and management of hypertension among older Filipinos. To address this gap, we examined the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, as well as their correlates, among older Filipinos. METHODS: We analyzed a nationally representative survey of Filipinos aged 60 years and older (N = 5 985) in the Philippines. Blood pressure (BP) measurements were taken using a digital BP apparatus. People with hypertension included those with a systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or a diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg, or those who reported current use of antihypertensive medication. People with undiagnosed hypertension were those who had measured hypertension but had not been diagnosed by a doctor as having hypertension, while people with untreated hypertension were those who had measured hypertension but not taking medication. Among those who were taking antihypertensive medication, respondents with measured hypertension were considered to have uncontrolled BP. RESULTS: Results showed that 69.1% of older Filipinos had hypertension, but only 61.6% of people with hypertension were aware of their hypertension and 51.5% were untreated. Sociodemographic factors, such as age, sex, education, and living arrangements, were significantly associated with hypertension prevalence, hypertension awareness, lack of treatment for hypertension, and/or suboptimal BP control. CONCLUSION: We observed a high prevalence of hypertension among older Filipinos and a relatively low level of awareness and treatment of hypertension among them. While there are government efforts to address the growing prevalence of hypertension in the country, more efforts should be made to bring these government programs to older Filipinos.

Who cares? Provision of Care and Assistance Among Older Persons in the Philippines.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the provision of assistance among older persons in the Philippines who experience difficulty with activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). METHOD: Data for this research are drawn from the 2007 Philippine Study on Aging (PSOA). Cross-tabulations and regression analyses are used to identify who provides assistance to older Filipinos. RESULTS: The study shows that the Filipino family, particularly spouse and daughters, plays an important role in providing assistance to older Filipinos who need help in carrying out functional activities. This provision of caregiving, however, follows a gendered pattern. Specifically, the spouse provides assistance to older men, whereas daughters provide assistance to older women. Grandchildren and noncoresident family members, to some extent, are also active in providing care to older Filipinos. DISCUSSION: The Filipino family remains faithful to its filial duty toward older persons, but who provides care and the way it is provided are likely to change due to the demographic changes and values shifts that have swept the country.