ArticleBMC public health2015
The burden of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa: a four-country cross sectional study.
Article in BMC public health, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 154 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
154 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Global health action · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence of hypertension in Africa in the last two decades: systematic review and meta-analysis.Cardiovascular research · 2025Pooled it
- Hypertension among people living with human immunodeficiency virus in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2024Pooled it
- Projected burden and distribution of elevated blood pressure levels and its consequence among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.Journal of global health · 2024Pooled it
- Prevalence of hypertension among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International health · 2023Pooled it
- The economic burden of treating uncomplicated hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic literature review.BMC public health · 2022Pooled it
- Non-pharmacological interventions to achieve blood pressure control in African patients: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Nigeria in 1995 and 2020: A systematic analysis of current evidence.Journal of clinical hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.) · 2021Pooled it
- Screening strategies for hypertension.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Active smoking among people with diabetes mellitus or hypertension in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2019Pooled it
- Sustainability capacity and health worker normalisation of a successful non-communicable disease (NCD) health systems intervention within primary care settings in Uganda: a quantitative approach to a qualitative question.BMC health services research · 2023Trial
- Implementing integrated care clinics for HIV-infection, diabetes and hypertension in Uganda (INTE-AFRICA): process evaluation of a cluster randomised controlled trial.BMC health services research · 2023Trial
- Application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to examine nurses' perception of the task shifting strategy for hypertension control trial in Ghana.BMC health services research · 2020Trial
- Community Health and Demographic Surveillance System for Noncommunicable Disease Epidemiology Among Adults in Rural and Urban Zimbabwe, 2024-2029: Protocol for a Longitudinal Surveillance Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Gaps in awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Ethiopia: a care cascade analysis using nationally representative data.Preventive medicine reports · 2026Article
- Rural-Urban Differences in the Hypertension Cascade of Care in Northwestern Tanzania: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.Research square · 2026Article
- Patterns of blood pressure and factors associated with hypertension among young adults in Ibadan, Nigeria.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2026Article
- Association between body mass index, demographics, and hypertension risk in South African university students.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Hidden crisis of undiagnosed hypertension among women of reproductive age with elevated blood pressure: a regional disparities and determinants using Tanzania nation survey.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2026Article
94 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHypertension, the leading single cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is a growing public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Few studies have estimated and compared the burden of hypertension across different SSA populations. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of blood pressure data collected through a cohort study in four SSA countries, to estimate the prevalence of pre-hypertension, the prevalence of hypertension, and to identify the factors associated with hypertension.
methodsParticipants were from five different population groups defined by occupation and degree of urbanization, including rural and peri-urban residents in Uganda, school teachers in South Africa and Tanzania, and nurses in Nigeria. We used a standardized questionnaire to collect data on demographic and behavioral characteristics, injuries, and history of diagnoses of chronic diseases and mental health. We also made physical measurements (weight, height and blood pressure), as well as biochemical measurements; which followed standardized protocols across the country sites. Modified Poison regression modelling was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) as measures of association between potential risk factors and hypertension.
resultsThe overall age-standardized prevalence of hypertension among the 1216 participants was 25.9%. Prevalence was highest among nurses with an age-standardized prevalence (ASP) of 25.8%, followed by school teachers (ASP = 23.2%), peri-urban residents (ASP = 20.5%) and lowest among rural residents (ASP = 8.7%). Only 50.0% of participants with hypertension were aware of their raised blood pressure. The overall age-standardized prevalence of pre-hypertension was 21.0%. Factors found to be associated with hypertension were: population group, older age, higher body mass index, higher fasting plasma glucose level, lower level of education, and tobacco use.
conclusionsThe prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension are high, and differ by population group defined by occupation and degree of urbanization. Only half of the populations with hypertension are aware of their hypertension, indicating a high burden of undiagnosed and un-controlled high blood pressure in these populations.
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