Relationship of demographic characteristics of interviewers to blood pressure measurements.

This report describes findings from the Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program (HDFP) on the relationship between traits of interviewers and outcome of blood pressure measurements taken during home interviews. Mean diastolic blood pressure readings and prevalence data for 137,417 respondents taken by 617 interviewers are analyzed. Findings from regression analysis show that the magnitude of the absolute or relative difference in outcome of blood pressure measurements is associated much more positively with the characteristics of race and sex of the respondent than these characteristics in the interviewer.