Prevalence of Diabetes and Hypertension among People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV) Attending Isiolo County Referral Hospital Comprehensive Care Clinic, Kenya

Abstract

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV) are increasingly experiencing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, particularly hypertension and diabetes, alongside chronic HIV infection. However, evidence on the prevalence and associated factors of these conditions among PLWHIV in arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya remains limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes and examine their socio-demographic and anthropometric correlates among PLWHIV attending the Comprehensive Care Clinic at Isiolo County Referral Hospital, Kenya. A hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 231 HIV-positive adults receiving antiretroviral therapy. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and standardized clinical measurements, including blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, weight, and height. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0 through descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of association. The findings revealed that 42.4% of respondents had previously been diagnosed with hypertension, while 23.4% had previously been diagnosed with diabetes. Clinical assessment further showed that 39.4% of respondents were classified within Stage 1 hypertension and 16.0% within Stage 2 hypertension, while 39.4% were diabetic and 24.2% were pre-diabetic based on fasting blood glucose measurements. Hypertension prevalence was significantly associated with age group, gender, education level, occupation, BMI category, and blood pressure classification (p < 0.05). Similarly, diabetes prevalence demonstrated significant associations with age, gender, education level, occupation, income status, and BMI category (p < 0.05). Older respondents, females, and underweight participants generally exhibited higher prevalence of both conditions. The study concludes that hypertension and diabetes represent a significant cardiometabolic burden among PLWHIV in Isiolo County and highlights the need for integrated HIV-NCD screening and management within Comprehensive Care Clinics in resource-limited settings.