Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction and Associated Factors among Hypertensive Patients Attending Governmental Health Institutions in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction . Erectile dysfunction is a common sexual problem affecting men with hypertension. It may result in withdrawal from sexual engagement, decreased work productivity, psychosocial problems including poor self‐esteem and depression, and reduction in quality of life for both the affected men and their female partners. Objective . This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction and associated factors among hypertensive patients attending governmental health institutions in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia. Materials and Methods . An institutional‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted on 423 hypertensive men randomly selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Erectile dysfunction was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function‐5 tool. Sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral factors were also collected using pretested interviewer‐administered questionnaires. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and analyzed using Stata‐14. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with erectile dysfunction. The level of significance was computed at a p value ≤ 0.05. Results . The mean age of the study participants was 58.84 ± 13.52 years. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction among hypertensive men was 46.34% (95% CI: 41.61, 51.12). About 28% of them had a mild form of erectile dysfunction while nearly 6% had severe forms. Age above 60 years (AOR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.62, 6.55), stage II hypertension (AOR = 3.5, 95% CI: 1.63, 5.74), hypertension duration >10 years (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI:1.12, 4.19), comorbidity (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.04, 3.15), depression (AOR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.31, 4.21), and being physically active (AOR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.83) were factors significantly associated with erectile dysfunction. Conclusion . Nearly half of the study participants had some form of erectile dysfunction, indicating the presence of a high burden of the problem. Assessment of hypertensive men for erectile dysfunction should be part of routine medical care.