Objective  To examine the prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among urban and rural residents in Guizhou province and to provide references for developing appropriate strategies for treatment and prevention of hypertension.

  Methods  Using stratified multi-stage random sampling, we carried out a questionnaire interview and physical examination among 11 458 residents (5 545 48.39% urban and 5 913 51.61% rural residents) aged 15 years and older in 4 urban and 4 rural regions of Guizhou province between September 2014 and October 2015.

  Results  Among the all residents, the overall prevalence rate of hypertension was 28.78% and the hypertension prevalence rate was lower among the urban residents than among the rural residents (21.75% vs. 35.38%). For all the residents identified with hypertension, the rate of awareness about suffering from hypertension was 43.27%, with a significantly higher awareness rate among urban than among rural residents with hypertension (46.43% vs. 41.40%, P < 0.01); the treatment rate and the control rate of hypertensive residents were 35.20% and 28.42%, with significantly higher treatment rate and control rate among the urban than among the rural hypertensive residents (39.55% vs. 32.70% and 38.99% vs. 21.05%, both P < 0.01). Multivariate unconditional logistic regression revealed that for urban residents, risk factors of hypertension were aged ≥ 45 years, married, smoking, alcohol drinking, insufficient sleeping, excessive sleeping, familial history of hypertension, overweight, obesity, and central obesity; while, for rural residents, the risk factors of hypertension included aged 35 years and elder, smoking, insufficient sleeping, excessive sleeping, familial history of hypertension, overweight, obesity and central obesity; whereas, with the education of junior high school and higher was a protective factor for both urban and rural residents.

  Conclusion  The prevalence rate of hypertension is relatively high among urban and rural residents 15 years old and elder in Guizhou province; the urban residents' hypertension prevalence rate is lower but the awareness rate, treatment rate and control rate are higher compared to those of the rural residents. Age, education, smoking, sleep duration; familial hypertension history, body mass index and central obesity are impact factors of hypertension among both the urban and rural residents in Guizhou province.