Health education and public health policies for detection, prevention, and treatment of hypertension.

Health education and policy issues in high blood pressure concern concepts and actions for prevention, early detection, and long-term control. Complementary modes of dissemination of the health education message are a medical preventive ("high-risk") strategy and community-oriented programs ("population strategy"). Today, a clear preventive message can be given to the public to prevent and control high blood pressure in whole communities. Data from a Swiss health survey show avenues for future action. Although not only health information matters to the general population, but also easy access to services ("enabling factors"), factors such as health knowledge and attitudes and the presence of a supporting partner ("predisposing factors") are of additional importance for hypertensive patients. For future action, then, the health message should be intensified, and more research on the nature and kind of information is warranted.