Miriam Nakanwagi PhD upgrading seminar - 9/4/26 - 12:00 BST

Miriam's upgrading seminar on 'Cardiometabolic and behavioural risk factors for raised blood pressure and raised blood sugar among young people with and without HIV in Uganda' is taking place on Thursday the 9th of April 2026.

Zoom details

Meeting ID: 843 2943 3547

Password: 829499

More details below about Miriam's PhD project :

Introduction

Africa has a dual burden of HIV and a rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and diabetes mellitus (DM). Young adults are increasingly vulnerable to both NCDs and HIV since this is a transition age period for initiation and reinforcement of many risky behaviours for both diseases. Additionally, evidence suggests that CVDs and diabetes occur at an earlier age in people living with HIV (PLHIV) compared to HIV negative individuals even after adjusting for traditional risk factors. However, most existing evidence on the association of CVDs and diabetes with HIV is focused on adult populations with limited information on young people in Africa. For this doctoral study, I will investigate the cardiometabolic and behavioural risk factors for raised blood pressure and hyperglycaemia among young people with and without HIV in Uganda. I will do this through three work packages.

Methods

First, I will conduct a systematic review to synthesize evidence on the cardiometabolic and behavioural risk factors for raised blood pressure and hyperglycaemia among young people (15 – 35 years) with and without HIV in Africa.  Second, I will conduct a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence and determinants of cardiometabolic and behavioural risk factors for raised blood pressure and hyperglycaemia among young people (16 – 24 years) with and without HIV in Uganda. This will be done using secondary data analyses from four databases, two will have rural populations and two will have urban populations. Third, I will conduct a retrospective review of medical records in selected six rural and six urban HIV clinics in Uganda to determine the extent to which NCD screening has been integrated within routine HIV care for young PLHIV in Uganda.

Rationale

This study will profile the different risk factors for raised blood pressure and hyperglycaemia, and will determine how these differ among young people with and without HIV. It will also determine the extent to which NCD screening has been integrated into routine HIV care of young people in Uganda. These findings will contribute to the design of targeted, high-impact NCD prevention and screening strategies for young people with and without HIV in Uganda and similar settings.