The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, and associated factors among people receiving antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia

Aim: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes and the factors associated with these conditions in adult patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It also aimed to assess their self-management skills for these chronic conditions, as effective self-management is critical to improving health outcomes and enhancing quality of life for individuals managing multiple health challenges. Methods: A cross-sectional, facility-based study was conducted in May and June 2022. We randomly selected 520 adult people living with HIV attending antiretroviral therapy clinics in three hospitals in Southern Ethiopia. Nine trained nurses collected data using a pre-tested structured questionnaire, and SPSS version 20 was employed for analysis. A logistic regression model was utilized to identify factors associated with chronic comorbidities in HIV. Results: The mean age of participants was 38.7 ± 9.01 years, with diabetes and hypertension prevalence at 1.5% [95% CI: (0.70, 3.00)] and 9% [95% CI: (7.10, 12.30)], respectively. Chronic comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes were significantly associated with age 35–54 years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.54, 95% CI: (1.46, 8.74)], 55 years and older [AOR = 7.66, 95% CI: (2.29, 25.50)], and overweight or obesity [AOR = 2.82, 95% CI: (1.00, 7.93)]. The overall HIV self-management score was 42 ± 3.92 out of 60, with the lowest mean score (1.69 ± 0.92) in the social support domain. Conclusions: The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension was relatively low in our study. In Ethiopia, self-management skills appear low, and the limited understanding of self-management concepts raises questions about the validity of the self-management scale, potentially leading to inaccurate skill assessments.