Blood pressure and hypertension. Blood pressure was measured twice for each participant in the course ofa single visit. The first measurement was taken mid-way through the
interview, just after the questions related to individual health. The second measurement was
taken at the end ofthe questionnaire, i.e. after about 15–20 minutes’ rest. These measurements
were taken by trained students, using an Omron1 M3 Intellisense device validated by the
International Protocol [40]. The mean ofthe two measurements was retained for the analyses.
In accordance with the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee of Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, individuals with systolic blood pressure (SBP) 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 90 mm Hg and/or who
reported the current use ofantihypertensive medication were considered as suffering from
high blood pressure [41]. Participants were classified as hypertensive aware ifthey reported
that they had previously been informed by health professional that they had HTN.