Objective: To examine the pattern of physician advice-giving to individuals with hypertension and to determine if advice-giving and adherence to advice vary by race.
Methods: Frequency of physician recommendations and patient adherence to such advice were analyzed using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 1988 to 1994. A total of 2066 women were included in the study.
Results: The frequency of advice-giving and patient adherence to that advice varied as a function of the type of advice dispensed. Physician advice-giving and patient adherence also varied as a function of race; compared to Black women, White women were 60% less likely [OR (95% CI): 0.41 (0.25, 0.65)] to be told to take prescribed medicines and 56% less likely [OR (95% CI): 0.44 (0.26, 0.76)] to be told to exercise. Regarding patient adherence, compared to Black women, White women were 37% less likely [OR (95% CI): 0.63 (0.44, 0.91)] to use prescribed medicines, 59% less likely [OR (95% CI): 0.41 (0.26, 0.66)] to report reducing use of salt/sodium, and among overweight women, 50% less likely [OR (95% CI): 0.50 (0.31, 0.81)] to report efforts to control/lose weight.
Conclusions: The variability of physician advice and patient adherence as a function of race warrants further study.