Doctors’ recommendations and healthy lifestyle behaviors among individuals with hypertension in Brazil

•Most people with hypertension in Brazil received doctors' recommendations to engage in healthy behaviors.•There are socioeconomic disparities in receiving doctors' recommendations.•Doctors’ recommendations were associated with healthy eating and exercise regularly.•This study highlights the need to improve the management of hypertension and the promotion of healthy behaviors. Little is known about whether doctors’ recommendations encourage healthy behaviors among individuals with hypertension in Brazil. This study examined the biological, social, and health factors related to doctor’s recommendations and the associations between doctor’s recommendations and healthy behaviors. The sample consisted of individuals with hypertension (N = 18,260) from Brazil’s 2019 National Health Survey. The outcomes examined included smoking, drinking, diet, salt intake, physical activity, and doctor visits. Study findings indicated that more than 80% of people with hypertension in Brazil received doctors’ recommendations to adhere to medical care and engage in healthy behaviors. Those who received recommendations were more likely to practice healthy eating and exercise regularly but also to be obese/overweight, smoke, and drink excessively. Nonetheless, the findings concerning diet and exercise suggest the value of doctors’ recommendations for individuals with hypertension in Brazil.