Uncontrolled Hypertension and Associated Factors Among Adult Hypertensive Patients Attending Follow-Up at Wachemo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Hossana, Central Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Blood pressure that stays high despite medication plagues much of Sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, roughly one in two treated patients still reads above target. Pinning down what drives this locally matters for any intervention to work. Objectives: We set out to measure how common uncontrolled hypertension is and what predicts it among adults coming for chronic care at Wachemo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Hossana, Central Ethiopia. Methods: We ran a cross-sectional study at one facility between September and October 2025, enrolling 438 hypertensive adults aged 18 and up. Interviewers administered a structured questionnaire and pulled clinical data from charts. We described the sample, ran logistic regression at both bivariable and multivariable levels, and expressed strength of association through adjusted odds ratios alongside 95 percent confidence intervals. Results: Uncontrolled hypertension turned up in 52.3 percent of participants (229 of 438; 95 percent CI: 47.5 to 57.1). Four factors stood out on multivariable analysis: age 60 years or older (AOR 2.847, 95 percent CI 1.782 to 4.548, p below 0.001), not following dietary advice (AOR 2.612, 95 percent CI 1.423 to 4.796, p = 0.002), skipping physical activity (AOR 1.694, 95 percent CI 1.032 to 2.781, p = 0.037), and having another chronic condition (AOR 2.489, 95 percent CI 1.487 to 4.167, p below 0.001). When we stratified by co-morbidity, physical inactivity hurt patients with co-morbidities far more (AOR 3.214) than those without (AOR 1.423), with significant interaction (p = 0.041). Conclusion: More than half the patients in this hospital still do not have their blood pressure under control. Older age, poor diet, inactivity, and co-existing disease each raise the risk independently. The amplified effect of lifestyle lapses in patients with co-morbidities calls for integrated management rather than siloed care.