Bunnings will trial health stations where customers can check their blood pressure and other vitals when they visit in-store.
Under the Shop2Stop Hypertension pilot, SiSu health stations will be rolled out across 30 Bunnings stores.
The kiosks will ask customers questions about their age, lifestyle and family history before having their blood pressure checked and an opportunity to measure their weight.
Patients who discover they have high blood pressure will either be referred for medical care or offered “lifestyle guidance” and can track their vitals via an app.
Researchers from UNSW and the George Institute for Global Health hope the program will identify more undetected cases of hypertension and raise awareness about the risks of high blood pressure.
“Efforts to reduce the risk of high blood pressure in the community stopped being effective over the past 10 years, and the profile of those affected is changing,” said Alta Schutte, a UNSW professor and research fellow at the George Institute for Global Health.
“For example, raised blood pressure is increasingly linked to stroke deaths in men aged 25-49 years but they wouldn’t think of themselves as being at risk.
“We needed to think creatively about reaching this and other groups at high risk, in the places they already go, and Bunnings stores are a great way to do that.”
Dubbed “the silent killer”, high blood pressure can contribute to conditions like heart disease, stroke and dementia and often has no symptoms.
About 34 per cent of Australians have high blood pressure but only 32 per cent have it under control and checked regularly.
“The check is free, and the self-operated machines are in discreet locations, so it’s only the individual who sees and hears their results in the store,” Schutte said.
“Importantly, the SiSU kiosk gives people recommendations on how to reduce their blood pressure and, if needed, directs them to see their GP straight away.
“The good news is that if someone finds out they have high blood pressure, it can be effectively treated with medication and lifestyle changes.”