Abstract
PURPOSE: Hypertension is a growing public health problem with a remarkable contribution to morbidity and mortality. It is a common condition which usually coexists with diabetes and aggravates its complications. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of hypertension among diabetic patients attending their follow-up at Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC) from June 1 to August 30, 2019. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in diabetic patients attending their follow-up at JUMC. Systematic random sampling and a pretested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire were used to collect information. Data were entered into EPI data 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20. A variable having a p-value of <0.25 in the bivariate model was subjected to multivariate analysis to avoid the confounding variable's effect. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated at the 95% confidence interval and considered significant with a p-value of <0.05. RESULTS: A total of 366 diabetic patients were included in the study. Their mean age was 50.1 ± 14.28 years, and the mean duration of diabetes was 6.8 ± 5.3 years. The study finding showed that the prevalence of hypertension among diabetic patients was 37.4%. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, age of ≥50 years [AOR = 4.79; 95% CI: 1.4, 16.4], having body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 [AOR = 3.11; 95% CI: 1.58, 6.12] and khat chewing [AOR =19.34; 95% CI: 10.26, 36.44] were independent predictors of hypertension among diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: Our study found that there is high prevalence of hypertension among diabetic patients. Age of ≥50 years, having BMI of ≥25 kg/m(2) and khat chewing were associated with hypertension among participants. Early detection and appropriate interventions should be an important action among patients with age ≥ 50 years, having BMI ≥ 25kg/m(2) and khat chewers.