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Feasibility and Acceptability of Diabetes and Hypertension Screening and Diagnosis by Community Health Workers in Rural Lesotho: A Mixed‑Methods Pilot Study Cover

Feasibility and Acceptability of Diabetes and Hypertension Screening and Diagnosis by Community Health Workers in Rural Lesotho: A Mixed‑Methods Pilot Study

Annals of Global Health
Volume 91 (2025): Issue 1
By: Thabo Ishmael Lejone,  Felix Gerber,  Ravi Gupta,  Jennifer M. Belus,  Thesar Tahirsylaj,  Tristan Lee,  Giuliana Sanchez‑Samaniego,  Maurus Kohler,  Maria Ines Haldemann,  Fabian Raeber,  Andrea Williams,  Makhebe Khomolishoele,  Palesa Mahlatsi,  Pauline Mamoroents’ane Sematle,  Lucia Motlatsi,  Boikano Matjeane,  Dave Basler,  Kevin Kindler,  Pauline Grimm,  Martin Rohacek,  Alain Amstutz and  Niklaus Daniel Labhardt  
Open Access
|Sep 2025
Figures & tables

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

Screened for hypertension and diabetes.

Figure 2

Screened and diagnosed for hypertension.

Figure 3

Screened and diagnosed for diabetes (DM).

Table 1

Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of study participants.

OVERALL POPULATION N (%)
Sex:

  • Male

  • Female

788 (43.5%)

1023 (56.5%)

Age
Median (IQR)

  • <10 years

  • 10 – 15 years

  • 16 – 39 years

  • ≥ 40 years

24 (11‑25.5)

395 (21.8%)

250 (13.8%)

585 (32.3%)

581 (32.1%)

Relationship status

  • Married/in relationship

  • Single/widowed/divorced

  • No answer

  • <16 years

627 (34.6%)

532 (29.4%)

7 (0.4%)

645 (35.6%)

Educational status

  • No school

  • Completed primary school

  • Completed secondary school

  • Completed tertiary education

  • <16 years

78 (4.3%)

630 (34.8 %)

403 (22.3%)

55 (3%)

645 (35.6%)

Employment status

  • Regular income (self‑employed/employed)

  • Own plot or livestock

  • No income

  • Full time student/scholar

  • Retired/disabled/sick

  • No answer

  • <16 years

435(24.0%)

357 (19.7%)

134 (7.4%)

48 (2.7%)

52 (2.9%)

140 (7.7%)

645 (35.6%)

HIV Status

  • Known to live with HIV.

  • Tested HIV negative ≤ 12 month ago

  • Tested HIV negative > 12 months ago

  • No answer

  • Unknown

154 (8.5%)

748 (41.3%)

341 (18.8%)

23 (1.3%)

545 (30.1%)

Body Mass Index kg/m2 among ≥ 16 years
Median (IQR)

  • <18.5

  • 18.5 – 24.9

  • 25 −34.9

  • 35 and above

  • <16 years

23.4 (20.3‑27.7)

137 (11.8%)

572 (49.1%)

381 (32.7%)

76 (6.5%)

645 (35.6%)

Previously diagnosed with hypertension (aHT)

  • Yes

  • No

  • Unknown

  • <16 years

373 (20.6 %)

776 (42.8%)

17 (0.9%)

645 (35.6%)

Taking antihypertensive medicine

  • Yes

  • No

  • Unknown

  • <16 years

223 (12.3%)

930 (51.4%)

13 (0.7%)

645 (35.6%)

Previously diagnosed with diabetes (DM)

  • Yes

  • No

  • Unknown

  • <16 years

70 (3.9 %)

1074 (59.3%)

22 (1.2%)

645 (35.6%)

Taking anti‑diabetic medication

  • Yes

  • No

  • Unknown

  • <16 years

24 (1.3%)

1124 (62.1%)

18 (1 %)

645 (35.6%)

Currently Smoking

  • Yes

  • No

  • <10 years

387 (21.4%)

1029 (56.8%)

395 (21.8%)

Smoking frequency (n=387)

  • 1‑5 cigarettes per day

  • 6‑10 cigarettes per day

  • 11‑20 cigarettes per day

  • More than 20 cigarettes per day

  • Other forms of tobacco consumption

196 (50.6%)

32 (8.3%)

11 (2.8%)

5 (1.3%)

143 (37%)

Self‑reported history heart attack

  • Yes

  • No

  • Unknown

  • <16 years

78 (4.3%)

1081 (59.7%)

7 (0.4%)

645 (35.6%)

Self‑reported history of stroke

  • Yes

  • No

  • Unknown

  • <16 years

17 (1%)

1138 (62.8%)

11 (0.6%)

645 (35,6%)

Close relative previously diagnosed with DM

  • Yes

  • No

  • Unknown

  • <16 years

98 (5.4%)

1007 (55.6%)

61 (3.4%)

645(35.6%)

[i] Notes:

< 16 years: Children and adolescents under 16 were not asked the questions.

[ii] < 10 years: Children and adolescents under 10 were not asked the questions.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.4738 | Journal eISSN: 2214-9996
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Language: English
Submitted on: Mar 17, 2025
Accepted on: Aug 11, 2025
Published on: Sep 12, 2025
Published by: Ubiquity Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 issue per year
Keywords:
community health workers,
home‑based,
screening,
hypertension,
diabetes,
non‑communicable chronic diseases

© 2025 Thabo Ishmael Lejone, Felix Gerber, Ravi Gupta, Jennifer M. Belus, Thesar Tahirsylaj, Tristan Lee, Giuliana Sanchez‑Samaniego, Maurus Kohler, Maria Ines Haldemann, Fabian Raeber, Andrea Williams, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Palesa Mahlatsi, Pauline Mamoroents’ane Sematle, Lucia Motlatsi, Boikano Matjeane, Dave Basler, Kevin Kindler, Pauline Grimm, Martin Rohacek, Alain Amstutz, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 91 (2025): Issue 1
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