Prevalence and Factors Associated With Hypertension Among Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Private Health Facilities,...

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) are the leading causes of mortality worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Uganda, while private health facilities in urban areas are preferred for managing these conditions, there is limited information on the prevalence of HTN and associated risk factors among T2D patients in these settings. This study assessed the prevalence of HTN and associated factors among T2D patients in private health facilities, Kampala, Uganda.

A health facility-based cross-sectional study using quantitative methods was employed, which included obtaining information from the patient records and a structured questionnaire. The study recruited 295 participants at the diabetes clinics in selected private health facilities. The collected data were analysed using STATA 15.0 statistical software. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted using a generalised linear model of modified Poisson regression.

Almost a third, 28.9% (85/295) of the participants had lived with T2D for more than 10 years. The prevalence of HTN among participants was 63.7%. Knowledge of HTN was low, with only 44.1% of the participants knowing about blood pressure, and 56.3% had a low level of knowledge overall. Participants who smoked (APR = 2.15, 95% Cl: 1.34-3.46), consumed an alcoholic drink in the past 30 days (APR = 1.56, 95% Cl: 1.10-2.20) and had a high level of knowledge on HTN (APR = 2.16, 95% Cl: 1.56-2.99) were more likely to have HTN.

Our study found a worrying high burden of uncontrolled HTN among T2D patients, which could be due to risky behaviours including smoking and alcohol use. The generated evidence will inform feasible HTN risk reduction measures among T2D patients, which will improve awareness and existing controls set up by the different stakeholders. Therefore, there is a need for consolidated efforts aimed at addressing the identified gaps through community health education and lifestyle adjustments at facilities they attend to, especially for high-risk behaviours such as smoking and alcohol use, to effectively reduce HTN prevalence in similar populations.