Adherence to medication and gender are associated with uncontrolled hypertension: findings of a cross-sectional study in East-Central Uganda.
N, H., V, N., & P, A. (2026). Adherence to medication and gender are associated with uncontrolled hypertension: findings of a cross-sectional study in East-Central Uganda.. The Pan African medical journal. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2026.53.127.45349
N H, V N, P A. Adherence to medication and gender are associated with uncontrolled hypertension: findings of a cross-sectional study in East-Central Uganda.. The Pan African medical journal. 2026; doi: 10.11604/pamj.2026.53.127.45349
N H, V N, P A. Adherence to medication and gender are associated with uncontrolled hypertension: findings of a cross-sectional study in East-Central Uganda.[J]. The Pan African medical journal. 2026. DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2026.53.127.45349.
@article{n2026,
author = {Higenyi N and Nankabirwa V and Ajuk P},
title = {Adherence to medication and gender are associated with uncontrolled hypertension: findings of a cross-sectional study in East-Central Uganda.},
journal = {The Pan African medical journal},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.11604/pamj.2026.53.127.45349},
note = {PMID: 42495094},
}
TY - JOUR AU - Higenyi N AU - Nankabirwa V AU - Ajuk P TI - Adherence to medication and gender are associated with uncontrolled hypertension: findings of a cross-sectional study in East-Central Uganda. T2 - The Pan African medical journal PY - 2026 DO - 10.11604/pamj.2026.53.127.45349 AN - PMID:42495094 ER -
INTRODUCTION: while uncontrolled hypertension (UCH) affects mostly developing countries, there is limited information on its burden and associated factors in Uganda. This study, therefore, sought to determine its prevalence and associated factors in East-Central Uganda. METHODS: we used systematic sampling to enroll 318 clients living with hypertension, aged 18 to 69 years, attending Kamuli General Hospital, for this cross-sectional study. A pretested structured questionnaire adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPS tool was used to collect the study data as participants exited the clinic. The participants´ blood pressure (BP) and anthropometric measurements were taken as per the WHO STEPS manual. Uncontrolled hypertension was defined as an average systolic blood pressure of at least 140 mmHg and/or an average diastolic blood pressure of at least 90 mmHg. Robust Poisson regression was used for multivariable analysis of the relationship between UCH and the other study variables. RESULTS: of the 318 participants enrolled, 289 had complete information and were included in the analysis. The majority (79.6%) were females aged at least 51 years of age (58.2%). The median and mean age were 53 years (Q1 = 45.0, Q3 = 60.0), with a standard deviation of 9.6 years. The mean SBP and DBP were 162.4 ± 22.8 mmHg and 97.5 ± 15.7mmHg respectively. The prevalence of UCH was 85.8% (95% CI 81.3% - 89.4%). Adherence to antihypertensive treatment and gender were strongly associated with UCH. The prevalence of UCH did not vary significantly by level of education, level of physical activity, or history of use of herbal medication among the clients. CONCLUSION: the prevalence of UCH was very high, requiring urgent interventions prioritizing male hypertensive patients and approaches aimed at improving adherence to antihypertensive treatment.