Background The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge about hypertension and healthy behaviors in inhabitants of Cracow with and without previously recognized hypertension.
Methods In all of the subjects (321 persons) who voluntarily participated in the street-based hypertension screening project, blood pressure (BP), waist and hip measurement were taken. Moreover all persons received a questionnaire in order to assess their healthy behaviors and knowledge about hypertension - its' prevention and treatment.
Results The subjects were divided into two groups: I: "Hypertensives" (n = 103) - subjects in whom hypertension has been recognized in the past; II: "Normotensives" (n = 218) - the persons in whom hypertension has not been diagnosed previously The mean age was 56.1 ± 13.8 years in the group I, and 39.7 ± 18.1 years in the group II, in the both groups number of women was similar - 58%. Most of the hypertensives (68.0%) had their BP ? 140/90 mm Hg, but also among the so-called normotensives 24.3% had abnormal BP. The persons from the group II correctly indicated the normal values of BP as < 140/90 mm Hg more frequently than hypertensive subjects (for SBP 86.3% vs 57.3%, p < 0.001; for DBP 92.2% vs 78.6%, p < 0.05). The diseases of the heart and the brain were the most often mentioned consequences of hypertension, particularly by hypertensives. Almost 60% of the subjects with hypertension did not know any of the nonpharmacological methods of BP reduction. When compared with normotensive group, the hypertensives were characterized by higher prevalence of overweight (66.0% vs 36.7%, p < 0.001 ), more frequently declared healthy lifestyle, as well as an expertise in self BP measurement (55.3% vs 43.8%) and regular controls of BP at home (29.1% vs 23.7%).
Conclusions The knowledge about essential problems of hypertension is relatively good in the Cracow's population. On the other hand, subjects with hypertension demonstrate a discrepancy between their knowledge about the disease and everyday healthy behaviors.