A systemic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among adult clients in Ethiopia.

Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for premature mortality and excessive morbidity in the world. It is a growing public health problem in developing countries including Ethiopia. It is a silent killer. Information on the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors is to be considered vital to focus on early diagnosis and improve prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases. However, on the prevalence and contributing factors of hypertension in Ethiopia, there is a dearth of information. Thus, this review aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of hypertension and its contributing factors among Ethiopia's adult population.

Objective: The main objective of this study was to provide pooled evidence on the prevalence of hypertension among the adult population in Ethiopia.

Methods And Material: This systematic review and meta-analysis were searched through MEDLINE/ Pub Med, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar by using different search terms on the prevalence of hypertension and Ethiopia. Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument was used for critical appraisal of studies. The analysis was done using STATA 14 software. The Cochran Q test and I test statistics were used to test the heterogeneity of studies. Egger's test was used to show the publication bias. The pooled prevalence of HDP and the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval were presented using forest plots.

Results: A total of 22 studies with 14,202 participants were included in this review and the overall estimated prevalence of hypertension among the adult population in Ethiopia was 28.02% (95% CI (23.89%, 32.15%). Age 4.37(2.71, 6.04), sex (AOR=2.54, 95% CI: 1.00-4.09), family history of hypertension (AOR=3.05, 95% CI, 1.89, 4.21), inactive physical exercise (AOR=2.67, 95% CI: 1.38, 3.97), being obese (AOR=3.94, 95CI:2.83, 5.06), khat chewing (AOR=3.73, 95% CI: 2.65, 4.80), salt consumption (AOR=4.20, 95% CI: 1.55, 6.86) were significantly associated factors. Subgroup meta-analysis done by region showed that a higher in Tigray region 52.19(46.54, 57.66), and the lower was observed in Harare region1 2.71 (9.54, 15.87).

Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension among the adult population in Ethiopia is high. Healthcare professionals and other stakeholders should give attention to the early detection of hypertension in Ethiopia to reduce the burden of the disorder.