Rural‐urban disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and diabetes among aging Indians

Abstract INTRODUCTION Hypertension and diabetes are modifiable risk factors for dementia. We aimed to assess rural‐urban disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions among aging Indians. METHODS Participants ( n = 6316) were from two parallel, prospective aging cohorts in rural and urban India. Using self‐report and clinical/biochemical assessments, we subdivided participants with diabetes and hypertension into undiagnosed and untreated groups. Logistic regression and Fairlie decomposition analysis were the statistical methods utilized. RESULTS There was a significant rural‐urban disparity in undiagnosed hypertension (25.14%), untreated hypertension (11.75%), undiagnosed diabetes (16.94%), and untreated diabetes (11.62%). Further, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, such as age and tobacco use were the common contributors to the disparities in both undiagnosed hypertension and undiagnosed diabetes, whereas education and body mass index (BMI) were significant contributors to the disparity in untreated hypertension. DISCUSSION Rural Indians face significant healthcare disadvantages as compared to their urban counterparts, which prompts the urgent need for strategies for equitable healthcare.