Hyperuricemia and Its Associated Factors Among Adult Staff Members of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Ethiopia

Meseret Derbew Molla; Abebe Bekele; Daniel Seifu Melka; Maria Degef Teklemariam; Feyissa Challa; Birhanu Ayelign; Tewodros Shibabaw; Yonas Akalu; Zeleke Geto

doi:10.2147/IJGM.S308158

Hyperuricemia and Its Associated Factors Among Adult Staff Members of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Ethiopia

Int J Gen Med. 2021 Apr 20:14:1437-1447. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S308158. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Meseret Derbew Molla¹, Abebe Bekele², Daniel Seifu Melka^{3

4}, Maria Degef Teklemariam³, Feyissa Challa², Birhanu Ayelign⁵, Tewodros Shibabaw¹, Yonas Akalu⁶, Zeleke Geto⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
² Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
³ Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of Biochemistry, Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda.
⁵ Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
⁶ Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
⁷ Department of Biomedical Science, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wollo University, Desse, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Hyperuricemia is related not only to an increased risk of gouty arthritis but also to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, resistant hypertension, insulin resistance and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, to the best of our knowledge, the prevalence of hyperuricemia and its associated factors have rarely been assessed in Ethiopian populations. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of hyperuricemia and its associated factors among adult staff members of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute.

Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 1 to October 28, 2018. A total of 402 study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. A blood sample of approximately 5 mL was collected from each study participant after overnight fasting through standardized methods for biochemical tests, and analyses were carried out with an automated COBAS 6000 analyzer. Data analysis was performed by SPSS version 20 software. The factors associated with the outcome variable were identified by bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses, and a p value <0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.

Results: The mean age of the study participants was 37.13±10.5 (mean ± SD), and 51.5% of the participants were male. The overall prevalence of hyperuricemia (>5.7 mg/dL for females and >7 mg/dL for males) was found to be 31.0%. The multivariable logistic analysis revealed that age (AOR=1.59, 95% CI 1.01-2.78), sex (AOR=1.66, 95% CI 1.02-2.70), cigarette smoking (AOR=2.05, 95% CI 1.01-4.19) and serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (AOR=1.70, 95% CI 1.01-2.87) were significantly associated with hyperuricemia.

Conclusion: The prevalence of hyperuricemia was relatively high compared to similar studies. Early screening for hyperuricemia in the general population, especially in those who are smokers, of older age and with high serum LDL levels, is vital to control its adverse effects at an early stage.

Keywords: adults; associated factors; hyperuricemia; uric acid.

Grants and funding

We did not receive any grants from a funding agency.