Family Doctor Contract Services and Awareness of Blood Pressure Measurement Among Hypertension Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Shandong, China

BackgroundSome studies found that family doctor contract services (FDCSs) had positive impact on the self-measurement behaviors of hypertension patients. However, evidence concerning the association between FDCSs and blood pressure measurement awareness among hypertension patients is not clear. ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the relationship between FDCSs and blood pressure measurement awareness among the hypertension patients, and examine whether there is a difference in this relationship among middle-aged and aged adults in rural Shandong, China. MethodsA multi-stage stratified random sampling was adopted in 2018 in Shandong Province to conduct a questionnaire survey among the sample residents, in which 982 hypertension patients were included in the study. Pearson chi-square test and logistic regression model were employed using SPSS 24.0 to explore the association between FDCSs and blood pressure measurement awareness. Results76.8% of hypertension patients would measure blood pressure regularly. The blood pressure measurement awareness of the signing group was significantly higher than that of the non-signing group when controlling other variables (P < 0.001, OR = 2.075, 95% CI 1.391-3.095). The interaction of age and contracting status were significantly correlated with blood pressure measurement awareness (P = 0.042, OR = 1.747, 95% CI 1.020-2.992; P = 0.019, OR = 2.060, 95% CI 1.129-3.759). Factors including gender (P = 0.011, OR = 0.499, 95% CI 0.291-0.855), household income (P = 0.031, OR = 1.764, 95% CI 1.052-2.956), smoking status (P = 0.002, OR = 0.439, 95% CI 0.260-0.739), sports habits (P < 0.001, OR = 2.338, 95% CI 1.679-3.257), self-reported health (P = 0.031, OR = 1.608, 95% CI 1.043-2.477), distance to the village clinic (P = 0.006, OR = 1.952, 95% CI 1.208-3.153) and medications (P < 0.001, OR = 3.345, 95% CI 2.282-4.904) were also found to be associated with the blood pressure measurement awareness of hypertension patients. ConclusionThe government should take efforts to strengthen publicity and education of family doctors and pay more attention to uncontracted, middle-aged, female patients and patients with unhealthy life behaviors to improve the blood pressure measurement awareness.