Objective   To examine the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control and self-management behavior of hypertension among residents aged 60 years and over in rural areas of Yunnan province.

  Methods   A representative sample of residents aged 60 years and over in rural Yunnan province was selected by using stratified multi-stage sampling and a questionnaire interview and physical examination were conducted among 2 040 participants from January to July 2016.

  Results   In the study population, the overall rates of prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension was 50.2%, 31.7%, 76.0%, and 38.6%, respectively. The hypertension prevalence rate was significantly higher among the female participants than among the male participants (52.7% vs .47.9%, P < 0.05) and the prevalence rate was higher among the participants with lower education level and annual income per capita (both P < 0.05). Of the hypertension patients identfied, 78.4% reported taking anti-hypertensive drugs as a doctor's prescription and 65.2% conducting self-monitoring of blood pressure (BP). A lower treatment rate was reported among the hypertension patients with lower annual income per capita than among those with higher income (P < 0.01); the female patients and the patients with relatively higher annual income per capita were more likely to take anti-hypertensive drugs as a doctor's prescription (P < 0.05); and the reported rate of BP self-monitoring was higher among the patients with higher education level (P < 0.01). The female hypertension patients reported a significantly higher ratio of having physical exercise (15.6% vs. 6.8%) and lower ratios of restricted alcohol consumption (1.5% vs. 17.4%) and attempted smoking cessation (0.9% vs. 11.3%) during the previous two weeks compared to the male patients (P < 0.01 for all). The patients with the education of primary school or above reported a significantly higher ratio of restricted alcohol consumption than the illiterate patients; the patients with higher annual income per capita reported a higher ratio of taking physical exercise than those with lower income (both P < 0.01).

  Conclusion   The findings indicate a relatively high prevalence rate of hypertension and low levels of awareness, control, and self-management of hypertension among elderly people in rural Yunnan province. Effective measures need to be developed to promote education on hypertension-related knowledge and self-management of the disease.