Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics of participants (n=279)
| Female sex, n (%) | 166 (59.5) |
| Age (years), mean ± SD | 66.5±11.0 |
| <65 years, n (%) | 153 (54.8) |
| Caucasian race, n (%) | 279 (100.0) |
| Relationship status, n (%) | |
| In a relationship | 185 (66.3) |
| Single | 94 (33.7) |
| Residence, n (%) | |
| Rural | 85 (30.5) |
| Urban | 194 (69.5) |
| Professionally active, n (%) | 100 (35.8) |
| Education, n (%) | |
| None or primary | 55 (19.7) |
| High school | 96 (34.4) |
| College/university | 128 (45.9) |
| Blood pressure (mmHg), n (%) | |
| ≤140–159/90–99 | 193 (69.2) |
| 160–179/100–109 | 60 (21.5) |
| ≥180/110 | 26 (9.3) |
| Frequency of blood-pressure measurement, n (%) | |
| One to three times a day | 143 (51.3) |
| More than once per week | 68 (24.4) |
| Once per week | 11 (3.9) |
| When feeling worse | 35 (12.5) |
| At the physician’s office | 22 (7.9) |
| Patient able to tell how many pills they take daily, n (%) | |
| Yes, five or fewer | 98 (35.1) |
| Yes, more than five | 18 (6.5) |
| No | 163 (58.4) |
| How medication is taken, n (%) | |
| Prepared and given by another person | 92 (33.0) |
| Prepared and taken by the patient | 187 (67.0) |
| Patient reads information leaflets for the prescribed medication, n (%) | |
| Yes, always | 88 (31.5) |
| Yes, sometimes | 85 (30.5) |
| Never | 106 (38.0) |