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Uganda national NCD risk factor surveys (WHO STEPS), 2014 and 2023

Ministry of Health, Uganda · 2023 (with 2014 for comparison) · last checked 30 October 2026

Two nationally representative surveys of non-communicable disease risk factors in adults 18-69, using WHO's STEPS method. A 2025 peer-reviewed paper by the survey team reports both rounds side by side and is the easiest source to cite.

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Cite this source

Kusolo, R., Mutungi, G. N., Mbuliro, M., Kajjura, R., Wesonga, R., Bahendeka, S. K., & Guwatudde, D. (2025). Changes in the prevalence of the common risk factors for non-communicable diseases in Uganda between 2014 and 2023: Informed by nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. PLOS Global Public Health, 5(4), e0003755. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003755
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Explore all indicators

IndicatorPopulationEstimateSource table / page
Raised blood pressure or on treatmentAdults 18-6925.4% (2014: 24.6%)Results table
Raised fasting blood glucose or on treatmentAdults 18-693.3% (2014: 1.5%)Results table
Overweight or obese (BMI 25 or more)Adults 18-6924.1% (2014: 19.3%)Results table
Current tobacco use, any formAdults 18-6910.1% (2014: 11.2%)Results table
Current alcohol use (past 30 days)Adults 18-6931.1% (2014: 28.5%)Results table

Source: Kusolo et al. (2025), PLOS Global Public Health. A national figure may not fit your study population; check the population and period before you use one as p in a sample size calculation.

About this source

Two nationally representative surveys of non-communicable disease risk factors in adults 18-69, using WHO's STEPS method. A 2025 peer-reviewed paper by the survey team reports both rounds side by side and is the easiest source to cite.

Latest round
2023 (with 2014 for comparison)
Access
Article: open access. Microdata: WHO NCD Microdata Repository.
Last checked
30 October 2026

How researchers can use it

  • Hypertension, diabetes and obesity prevalence for NCD proposals.
  • p for sample size calculations in adult NCD studies.
  • Showing change between 2014 and 2023.

Raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, overweight and obesity, tobacco use, alcohol use and other behavioural risk factors.

Access the data

  1. Read the open-access article (link below).
  2. For microdata, search the WHO NCD Microdata Repository for Uganda.

Methodological cautions

  • The alcohol figure is current use in the past 30 days, not harmful drinking.
  • Results cover adults 18-69 only.

How to cite it

Use the button for APA, Vancouver, Harvard, MLA and Chicago, and for EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley files. Citations name the original publisher as author, not Methods Bench.

Related reports and guides

Methods Bench links to official sources and does not host copies.

Cite this resource

Kusolo, R., Mutungi, G. N., Mbuliro, M., Kajjura, R., Wesonga, R., Bahendeka, S. K., & Guwatudde, D. (2025). Changes in the prevalence of the common risk factors for non-communicable diseases in Uganda between 2014 and 2023: Informed by nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. PLOS Global Public Health, 5(4), e0003755. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003755

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Show file contents (.ris)
TY  - JOUR
AU  - Kusolo, Ronald
AU  - Mutungi, Gerald N.
AU  - Mbuliro, Mary
AU  - Kajjura, Richard
AU  - Wesonga, Ronald
AU  - Bahendeka, Silver K.
AU  - Guwatudde, David
TI  - Changes in the prevalence of the common risk factors for non-communicable diseases in Uganda between 2014 and 2023: Informed by nationally representative cross-sectional surveys
JO  - PLOS Global Public Health
VL  - 5
IS  - 4
SP  - e0003755
PY  - 2025
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003755
Y2  - 2026/10/30
ER  -