Undiagnosed Hypertension Among Market Salespersons in Kitgum Central Market, Northern Uganda.

Introduction: Hypertension may be common among market salespersons who are mostly physically inactive throughout the day. However, the burden of hypertension in this population remains unknown. In this study, we determined the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and associated factors among market salesperson in Kitgum central market, Kitgum district, Northern Uganda.

Methods: A cross-sectional study, recruiting market salespersons aged 18 years or older without a prior diagnosis of hypertension or currently on anti-hypertensive therapy was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was administered, and body mass index (BMI) estimated. Hypertension was defined as two consistent measurements of systolic blood pressure ≥140mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90mmHg measured 4 hours apart. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors independently associated with undiagnosed hypertension. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: We enrolled 240 participants. The mean age was 39.4 ± 12.8 years. Most (83.3%, n=199) participants were female and urban dwellers (88.3%, n=212). The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was 16.7% (n=40). Of the 40 participants with hypertension, 16 (40%) were younger than 40 years. Factors associated with undiagnosed hypertension were, age >50 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 7.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9-25.6, p=0.003), male gender (aOR: 4.2, 95CI: 1.5-11.1, p=0.005), alcohol consumption (aOR: 2.6, 95CI: 1.1-6.0, p=0.021), and being overweight (aOR: 3.6, 95CI: 1.5-8.8, p=0.005).

Conclusion: About one in six of market salespersons had undiagnosed hypertension, with a disproportionately high burden among those younger than 40 years. A larger multi-centric study is recommended to confirm our findings.