The influence of the Family Health Strategy on hypertensive adults in health care use in Brazil

ABSTRACT:

Introduction:

Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) has a high prevalence in Brazil and impacts on the use of health services.

Objective:

This study verified the influence of the Family Health Strategy (FHS) on the use of health services by adults ≥ 18 years old who reported SAH in the National Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde - PNS) 2013.

Methods:

The Propensity Score (PS) method was used to correct the lack of homogeneity between the groups with SAH under exposed or not to the FHS. PS was estimated using binary logistic regression, which reflected the conditional probability of receiving the household register in the FHS according to socioeconomic, demographic and health covariates of adults and their families. After estimating the PS, the stratification was used to group hypertensive adults into five mutually exclusive strata (pairing them). Prevalence and confidence intervals at 95% were estimated of medical consultations and hospitalizations. The effects of the complex NHS sampling were incorporated into all phases of the analysis.

Results:

It was verified that hypertensive adults enrolled in FHS had worse socioeconomic, health and health conditions, but similar prevalence of medical consultations and hospitalizations to adults without a FHS registry and with better living and health conditions. The FHS has attenuated individual and contextual inequalities that impact the health of Brazilians by favoring the use of health services.

Conclusion:

The FHS can favor the care and control of SAH in Brazil. Thus, it must receive investments that guarantee its effectiveness.

Keywords:
Adult; Hypertension; Family health; Health services; Health surveys