Prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and associated factors among adults in Durame town, Southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Abebe Suliman; Sebsibe Tadesse; Lonsako Abute; Markos Selamu

doi:10.3389/fepid.2023.1205857

Prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and associated factors among adults in Durame town, Southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Front Epidemiol. 2023 Nov 27:3:1205857. doi: 10.3389/fepid.2023.1205857. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Abebe Suliman¹, Sebsibe Tadesse², Lonsako Abute¹, Markos Selamu¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Wachemo University, Hossana, Ethiopia.
² National Data Management and Analytics Center for Health, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Undiagnosed hypertension is a major public health problem causing severe cardiovascular disorders that are responsible for a high proportion of morbidities and mortalities, especially among adults living in low-income countries. However, there is a paucity of information that describes its epidemiology in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and associated factors among adults in Durame town, southern Ethiopia.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to September 2022. Data were collected from 526 randomly selected adults aged ≥18 years using a pre-tested questionnaire. The binary logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with undiagnosed hypertension.

Results: The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension among adults in Durame town, southern Ethiopia, was found to be 14.0% (95% CI: 11.2-17.1). Family history of hypertension [AOR = 6.9, 95% CI: (3.62, 13.27)], drinking too much alcohol [AOR = 5.7, 95% CI: (2.97, 10.75)], physical inactivity [AOR = 2.5, 95% CI: (1.34, 4.73)], consuming street foods regularly [AOR = 2.8, 95% CI: (1.28, 6.01)], and seeking healthcare for hypertensive symptoms without serious illness [AOR = 2.4, 95% CI: (1.28, 4.56)] were significantly associated with developing undiagnosed hypertension.

Conclusion: The study has revealed that one in seven adults had undiagnosed hypertension in the study area. Thus, interventions to prevent hypertension should target increasing awareness among people with a family history of hypertension, controlling excessive alcohol consumption, promoting physical exercise, regulating street food markets, and improving the health-seeking behavior of adults in urban settings.

Keywords: alcohol consumption; family history of hypertension; health-seeking behavior; hypertension; physical activity; street foods; undiagnosed hypertension.