Hypertension and Its Associated Factors Among Cancer Patients at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Hypertension is the most common comorbidities in adult cancer patients. Although hypertension is a leading cause of cancer-related death and disability, there is no evidence about its prevalence and associated factors among cancer patients in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among cancer patients. Methods: Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among cancer patients from January to March 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was performed to select 403 study participants. To collect the data, structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were used. Both bi-variable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with hypertension. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and P-value of less than 0.05 were used to determine significant factors. Results: The final result was based on 384 cancer patients. In this study, the prevalence of hypertension among adult cancer patients was 36.2% [95% CI: (31.5, 41.2)]. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, age greater than 57 years [AOR = 5.0; 95% CI (1.7, 14.9)] and having a family history of hypertension [AOR 10.9; 95% CI (5.5, 21.6)] were found to be significantly associated with hypertension. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension among cancer patients was considerably high. Age >57 years and family history of hypertension were found to increase the odds of having hypertension among cancer patients. Therefore, it is important to emphasize cancer patients that are at high risk of hypertension and develop preventive strategies to decrease the burden of this disease. There is a need for routine screening for hypertension for those having a positive family history of hypertension and older age, as they have an increased likelihood of developing high blood pressure among cancer patients.