부산대학교 도서관

OBJECTIVE:: The aims of the study were to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with Masked Hypertension in nursing professionals. DESIGN AND METHOD:: This was a cross-sectional study of 182 nursing professionals (38.07.5 years, 82.4% women). Office blood pressure measurement and 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) were applied in a usual work day. An interview was conducted to evaluate biopsychosocial, related to work and life habits variables. Fasting venous blood was drawn for biochemical analysis. Masked Hypertension was defined as office blood pressure less or equal 140/90 mmHg and mean daytime ABPM greater or equal 135/85 mmHg and non-use of antihypertensive treatment. Poisson regression with robust variance was performed, with values of p < 0.05 being considered statistically significant. RESULTS:: The prevalence of Masked Hypertension was 19.8% [95% confidence interval:15.67–23.93). The characteristics of the study sample were: shift work (61.0%), referred stress (44.0%), use of alcoholic beverage (28.6%), problematic consumption of alcohol (34.6%), dyslipidemia (24.2%), high risk for diabetes (20.3%), moderate work-related stress (73.6%), common mental disorders (60.4%), poor sleep quality (91.8%), burnout (41.8%) and had no blood pressure drop during sleep (nondippers) – systolic blood pressure 40.7%, diastolic blood pressure 30.2%). The nursing professionals with masked hypertension, had significantly higher than no masked hypertension: mean 24-hour, daytime and nighttime systolic/diastolic blood pressure in the 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring. Participants with masked hypertension were more elderly (age greater or equal 30 years); were married or separated / divorced / widowed or Conjugal/common law relationship; shift work (prevalence ratio: 2.40, [95% confidence interval:1.24–4.64), using drugs to inhibit sleep (prevalence ratio: 5.25, [95% confidence interval: 2.94–9.34), problematic consumption of alcohol (prevalence ratio: 5.19, 95% confidence interval:1.73–15.55) or not consuming alcohol (prevalence ratio: 3.93, 95% confidence interval:1.49–10.38) and referred hypertension (prevalence ratio: 0.24, 95% confidence interval: 0.13–0.44). CONCLUSIONS:: Nursing professionals presented a high prevalence of Masked Hypertension which was associated with hypertension, variables related to work and habits or lifestyles. The 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring should be routine in occupational health checks in health workers, especially shift workers.