Eating away from home among hypertensive patients in Addis Ababa: frequency and association with blood pressure control

Abstract

Eating away from home makes healthy dietary choices challenging. Foods prepared away from home are commonly energy dense, micronutrient poor, and contain high salt making them less preferred from non-communicable disease (NCD)-perspectives and may increase the risk of poor blood pressure control. In the Ethiopian context, the frequency of eating away from home and its association with blood pressure control have not been explored before. To assess the frequency of consumption of meals prepared away from home among hypertension patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and determine its association with blood pressure control. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2025 among 474 hypertensive patients randomly selected from public hospitals and health centers in Addis Ababa. Frequency of eating away from home (EAFH) was assessed using a standard questionnaire and categorized as low (< 3 times/week) or high (≥ 3 times/week). Blood pressure (BP) was measured using validated digital sphygmomanometers and poor blood pressure control was defined as systolic BP ≥ 130 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥ 80 mm Hg. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between EAFH frequency and blood pressure control, adjusting for socio demographic, clinical and behavioral factors. A substantial burden of poor blood pressure control was observed among the study participants. The prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure among the participants was 68.9% (95% CI: 64.7% -73.1%). About 24.6% of participants had high eating away from home (3 or more times per week). High frequency of EAFH was significantly associated with increased odds of uncontrolled blood pressure (AOR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.04-3.00; COR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.31–3.11). Frequent consumption of meals prepared away from home is significantly associated with poor blood pressure control among hypertensive patients. Public health interventions should focus on raising awareness about the health implications of EAFH, promote healthier food environments, and support hypertensive individuals in making better dietary choices.