Self-care practices of people living with HIV and hypertension or diabetes comorbidities in low-and-middle income countries: A systematic review

People living with HIV in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) face a growing burden of hypertension and diabetes comorbidities. Although self-care is essential, limited evidence exists on how patients manage these conditions concurrently within resource-constrained settings. We examined self-care practices among people living with HIV and hypertension or diabetes comorbidities in LMICs and identified treatment burdens related to these practices.

We searched Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Global Health, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, WHO Global Index Medicus, African Journals Online and, Google Scholar for primary studies conducted in LMICs and published between January 2013 and March 2026, regardless of study design and data collection method. Two reviewers independently screened, extracted data, and assessed study quality, resolving discrepancies through discussions. We used thematic synthesis to analyze self-care practices, and mapped findings onto the Normalization Process Theory to identify associated treatment burdens. Confidence in the evidence was assessed using the GRADE-CERQual approach.