The Prevalence and Sociodemographic Determinants of Diabetes and Hypertension among HIV Patients and General Population in Namibi

Introduction The coincident existence of HIV infection and diabetes or hypertension in the same individual is a known comorbidity in medical literature. However, its epidemiology has been less studied in Sub Saharan Africa where a large proportion of people suffer from HIV and non communicable diseases. Objectives To study the prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of diabetes and hypertension in people living with and without HIV in Namibia. Methods Cross sectional study using Namibia demographic and health survey 2013. The study objectives were determined among the general population, and results were stratified for HIV status. Logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate associations. Results 3075 participants were studied, 19.9% were HIV positive. Lower mean age and BMI were noted in the HIV-infected group and prevalence of diabetes (4.3%,p=0.03) and hypertension (30.6%,p<0.001) were lower than in HIV negative group (7.2% and 38.6%). In the general population, logistic regression showed no significant association between HIV status and diabetes (AOR=1.07,95%CI=0.84-1.38) neither hypertension (AOR=0.84, 95%CI=0.67-1.06). Old age and obesity were the main determinants associated with increased risk of both conditions. Highly educated and rural population had lower odds of hypertension. In the HIV-infected group, none of these determinants were associated to diabetes and only overweight was positively related to hypertension. Conclusions Prevalence of HIV comorbidities are driven by disease pattern and sociodemographic differences in population specially aging. Age-adjusted disease mortality in HIV research, and integrated management approach of NCDs and HIV are recommended.