Determinants of Diabetes-hypertension Comorbidity Among Pregnant Women Attending Primary Healthcare Centres in Urban Rivers State, Nigeria

The coexistence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension during pregnancy represents an important public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria. This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with comorbid diabetes and hypertension among pregnant women attending primary healthcare centres in an urban area of Rivers State, Nigeria. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 306 pregnant women selected using multistage and systematic random sampling from nine primary healthcare centres between December 2024 and January 2025. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and standardized measurements of fasting blood glucose and blood pressure. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants’ characteristics and prevalence estimates, and binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with comorbidity at the p 0.05 significance level. The prevalence of diabetes–hypertension comorbidity was 4.9% (95% CI: 2.5–7.3). The prevalence of diabetes was 34.6% (95% CI: 26.1–38.8), and hypertension was 8.8% (95% CI: 5.6–12.0). The higher prevalence of diabetes compared with comorbidity reflects the fact that many women had hyperglycaemia without concurrent hypertension. Increasing age, occupation, marital status, genotype and limited social support were significantly associated with comorbidity. Although the prevalence of comorbidity was relatively low, the presence of overlapping cardiometabolic conditions during pregnancy highlights the need for strengthened routine screening for blood glucose and blood pressure and integration of non-communicable disease management into antenatal care services at the primary healthcare level.